Everwood: Season 4
by Princess Pinky
Summary: Sequel to, Everwood: Season 3. Ephram has discovered that not only is he a teen Father to Amy Abbott's baby, he also fathered Madison Kellner's daughter too! Now he must deal with both infants, one of whom is premature, as well as his ex and fiance.
1. Kellner

A/N: This is the "sequel" to "Everwood: Season 3". It is how I envision S4 of "Everwood" (following my version of S3, of course). I thank everyone who reviewed my last story and if you decide to read this one, I thank you for that too. I hope you all enjoy! If you haven't read "Everwood: Season 3", then I suggest you do so. But I'll post a short summary of it, just in case. Also, since auggy1984 waited so long for Madison, I'm dedicating this chapter to you!

"Everwood: Season 3" - Summary: This takes place 3 months after the season 2 finale. But for the pupose of my story, Madison was 3 months pregnant when she went to Dr. Brown, instead of 1 or 2 months as in the show. Madison has kept her promise to Andy. She lives in a tiny apartment and gets a monthly check from Andy. Ephram went to New York with Amy and they had the best few days of their lives. After Amy leaves, all Ephram can think about is Amy. Back at home, Amy has been acting strangly, which hasn't gone unnoticed by Harold. He tells Andy about it, but they put it off as school jitters and uncertainty about dating Ephram. Ephram is met at the airport by Andy, Delia, Bright, and Amy. Amy doesn't seem pleased and it worries Ephram. He makes plans to meet her later that night. When he meets Amy, she tells him that she thinks she is pregnant, from their 1 night together in New York. Bright finds out, after listening through Amy's door. He's pissed off and takes it out on Ephram. Rose, Harold, and Andy find out. They perform a pregnancy test, revealing that Amy is pregnant. Rose doesn't like it, but supports her daughter and Ephram. Andy and Harold don't get along with their kids. When Delia finds out, she is thrilled that she is going to be an Aunt. Eprham eventually proposes to Amy, using his Mother's ring and she accepts. Edna talked Harold into supporting his daughter, but things between Andy and Ephram are still on shaky ground, and Andy continues to hide Madison's pregnancy. Over time, things seem to be getting back to normal. But when Amy is about 6 months pregnant, her and Ephram are nearly hit by another car, causing Amy to go into early labor. Hours later she has a daughter, whom her and Ephram name after their Mothers. Their daughter's name is, Julia Rose Brown. But both her and Amy must stay in the hospital, because Julia is 3 months early. Ephram goes to get coffee and runs into Madison, at the Nursery. Madison, who can't hold in her secret anymore, tells Ephram of their daughter that she has named, Kellner Delia Brown. She calls their daughter, Kelly, for short.

**4.01 _Kellner  
_**

----November 5, 2004----  
  
Ephram's eyes were wide in shock and terror. He grabbed Madison's wrist and pulled her to a empty corner in the hallway. "What the hell are you talking about?" He whispered, trying to keep his voice low. "I was too young for you and besides, we used protection!"  
  
Madison locked eyes with her ex. "I know we did! But Ephram, you should know that it isn't always one-hundred percent!"  
  
"How do I know you didn't sleep with anyone else?" Ephram asked.  
  
Hurt was evident in Madison's eyes. "Because, I cared about you and felt awful when we broke up....But I knew you were too young for me! Do the Math, Ephram. Nine months from November second!"  
  
Ephram stopped for a moment and went over it in his head, a few times. He stared back into Madison's eyes, knowing it was true. "God!" He breathed.  
  
"I'm sorry." Madison said, as she wiped another stream of tears from her cheek.  
  
"It's not that...." Ephram whispered. "It's...I'm a Father of two."  
  
Madison turned her head to the side. "What do you mean?"  
  
Ephram sighed. "Madison..When the summer vacation started, I was invited to a summer program at Julliard. I went and for one week, before Summer School, Amy Abbott came with me. You remember her, right? The one I went to Prom with?"  
  
Madison nodded.  
  
"The week was amazing. I mean, I'd wanted her ever since I saw her. Well, on the last night she was there, we were watching a movie and.....things just went too far. We were caught in the moment. When I came back, after three months in New York, she told me she might be pregnant. To make a long story short, she was pregnant and I was the Father. It eventually came out and it was the talk of the town, you know how Everwood is. Then I proposed to her and gave her my Mother's engagement ring; she accepted. We're planning to get married after graduation in a little less than a year. Tonight I was driving her home and we were almost hit by a swerving car, but I avoided it. However, Amy was so stressed by it, she went into premature labor at only a little over six months. Just a little while ago she gave birth to my daughter and we named her Julia Rose Brown." Ephram explained.  
  
Madison seemed to be at a loss of words. _His Father allowed him to keep Amy's child, but he refused to let Ephram know about mine?_ She leaned up against the wall for support. "And your Father was okay with this?"  
  
Ephram shook his head. "No. Neither was Amy's Father. But Amy's Mother, and Grandmother, supported our decision to keep our daughter. They've helped a lot." Then he remembered what Madison had said earlier. "But my Father refused to let me know about your daughter...." He seemed to choke on his words. "Our daughter...." He looked into Madison's eyes. "Madison, I still care about you.."  
  
"No, Ephram, you asked Amy to marry you." Madison said.  
  
"You didn't let me finish. I was saying that I still care about you. Not romantically, but as a very good friend. As the Mother of my first child." Ephram said. He walked back over to the Nursery window and Madison followed him. "Can..can I see her? My daughter, Kellner?" He smiled, thinking of his daughter's name: 'Kellner' had been for Madison, 'Delia' had been for his little sister, and 'Brown' had been for himself. _Creative. _He thought. But he was glad that Madison wanted to call Kellner by Kelly.  
  
Madison stared at her daughter. "Yes..yes, of course!" She walked to the door of the Nursery and lightly tapped it.  
  
----  
  
The Nurse, in the Nursery, turned around and saw Madison standing outside of the door. She walked over to the door and opened it. "Miss, please, we can't have the babies getting awakened, so I can't have you tapping the door."  
  
Madison held out her wrist, revealing a green plastic wrist band. "I'm sorry. But I just wanted to see my daughter, Kellner Brown. Her Father is here and he hasn't had a chance to see her."  
  
The Nurse frowned. "We really aren't allow.."  
  
"Please? Just a few moments?" Madison interrupted.  
  
The Nursed sighed. "Okay, but only a few minutes. And stay right here." She shut the door, went over to the babies and looked at their names, then she picked up Kellner and brought her back to the door. She opened the door.  
  
"Oh, thank you so much!" Madison said, as she took her daughter from the Nurse's arms. She walked back to Ephram. "Kelly, someone's here to see you, Princess."  
  
Ephram felt a warm feeling wash over him. He knew Madison was going to be a great Mother, she already was, with the way she talked so tenderly to their daughter. He held out his arms, as Madison gently laid his daughter down. He held Kellner close to his chest. "Hey there, Kelly. I'm your Daddy." He said, softly. He admired the child. She had Madison's blonde hair, but she had his Mother's eyes, which just so happened to be Delia's eyes too.  
  
"Look." Madison said, quietly, as she watched her daughter make a face. "She has your smile and your frown."  
  
Ephram laughed. "She's beautiful."  
  
"I know."  
  
"She has my Mother's eyes."  
  
"I thought she had Delia's eyes." Madison said.  
  
"Delia has Mom's eyes too." He looked up at Madison. "And she has your hair."  
  
Madison smiled. "I know." She glanced back at the Nurse, who was frowning. "I should probably get her back to the Nursery now. The Nurse is getting upset, she said just a few minutes."  
  
Ephram gave Kelly back to Madison. "Bye Kelly, I'll see you soon."  
  
Madison walked back to the Nurse and gave Kelly back. "Thank you." She said, before the Nurse took her daughter away again.


	2. The Situation

A/N: Thanks everyone, for reviewing! coloardo2: Don't worry, I'm big on Ephram & Amy, so it won't turn on us. However, I do like suspense, so you'll just have to read. ;) BTW, just so everyone is clear about 1 thing, Amy does not hear the entire conversation. She only hears the tail end! Just in case anyone gets confused.

**4.02 _The Situation_**

----November 5, 2004----  
  
Ephram walked back into Amy's room, thinking about the events that had just taken place.  
  
"Ephram, where have you been?" Amy asked, with concern.  
  
"Uh, there was a long line in the cafeteria." Ephram lied. He wasn't sure how he was going to break the news to his fiance, about having another child with his ex. He looked at his Father with distrust and hate.  
  
"Ephram?" Amy asked, again. She motioned him over to her bedside. "The Nurse came by a few minutes ago, asking about your signature on the birth certificate. I told her you went for some coffee, but she'll be back any minute, so could you sign it please?" She asked, as she held up the birth certificate and a black pen.  
  
Ephram smiled. "Sure." He said, as he took both items. He walked over to a small table and chair, in the room and sat down. "Name: Julia Rose Brown. Weight: Two pounds and eight ounces. Mother: Amy Nicole Abbott. Date Of Birth: November fifth, two-thousand-four. Father:...." He took the pen and signed the blank line. "Ephram Daniel Brown." He read to himself. He stood up with the certificate, just as the Nurse walked in.  
  
"Oh good, you're back. Have you signed the paper?" The Nurse asked.  
  
Ephram simply held out the certificate to the Nurse.  
  
"Thank you, Mr...." The Nurse looked at the signature. "Brown." She smiled and briskly walked out of the room.  
  
"When do you think Julia will be able to come home?" Amy asked, as she looked at her Mother.  
  
"Honey, I don't know. Sometimes these things take a few weeks, with premature babies. We'll just have to ask the doctor, when she comes back." Rose replied.  
  
Amy frowned. "I wish I could hold her again! Mom, she was so beautiful!"  
  
"What did she look like?" Delia asked. She was still extremely tired.  
  
"She had Amy's eyes and Mom's hair." Ephram interjected.  
  
"Is that why you named her after Mom?" Delia asked.  
  
"No. We would have named her after your Mother either way. Ephram and I decided to name her after her Grandmothers a while ago." Amy answered.  
  
"I can't wait to see her." Delia said, anxiously. "And dress her up and..." She yawned again.  
  
Amy yawned too. "I think you have the right idea, Delia."  
  
Rose looked at Harold and then at Andy. "Maybe we should come back tomorrow? After all, it is quite late and Amy needs her rest."  
  
Harold and Andy agreed.  
  
"Do we have to?" Delia complained, as she tried to hide another yawn.  
  
"I think your Dad's right Delia, you look pretty tired." Amy reasoned.  
  
"I guess so." Delia said, as her eyes fluttered.  
  
"Ephram, are you coming?" Andy asked. He was willing to let Ephram stay the night because it was Friday and his fiance had just had his child.  
  
Ephram glared at his Father. "No, I'm staying with Amy. But, I do want to have a word with you." He said.  
  
"Me? Why?" Andy asked, surprised.  
  
"Privately." Ephram continued.  
  
Rose smiled at Andy. "Don't worry. I'll take Delia to the waiting room and wait for you there. Come on Harold." She took Delia's hand and led her out of the room. "Goodnight Amy!"  
  
"Bye Amy!" Delia called.  
  
"Bye Delia! Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Amy called back.  
  
Ephram had his follow him out of the room and out of Amy's ear shot. Then he swiftly turned around, with anger blazing in his eyes.  
  
"What's wrong?" Andy asked.  
  
"You bastard! Why did you lie to me?!" Ephram exploded.  
  
"What? Lie about what?" Andy asked.  
  
Ephram formed a fist. "You know what!"  
  
"Honestly son, I don't." Andy replied. He looked honestly confused.  
  
"Madison! Damn you! Why the hell didn't you tell me she came to you and that you found out she was pregnant, with my child?!" Ephram flamed.  
  
Andy's face went pale. "Ephram..."  
  
"Don't 'Ephram' me! You deliberately lied to me! You let me go off to Julliard thinking everything was fine and now I find out that my ex just had my baby!" Ephram snapped.  
  
"I was only trying to protect you!"  
  
"Protect me? Protect me? Fuck that! You were keeping it from me to protect your own selfish needs! Look what it did me! Now I have two daughters! If I hadn't gone to Julliard with Amy, I wouldn't be in this situation!" Ephram raved.  
  
"So that's what you think of this as? A 'situatiuon'?" Amy's hurt voice said, from behind Andy. "You think my getting pregnant with your child was a 'situation'?! Is that why you proposed too? To take care of the 'situation'?" Amy pulled her engagement ring off and threw it onto the ground, by Ephram's feet. "There, no more 'situation', Ephram Brown! I'll take care of my baby on my own without your help and there won't be anymore 'situation' that you need to take care of!"  
  
Ephram's mouth dropped open. "No! Amy wait, I can ex...." He ran after her, but as he got to the door, it slammed and locked in his face.


	3. Thinking It Over

A/N: Thanks for reviewing and I hope you all like how this little "love triangle" works out. :)

**4.03 **_**Thinking It Over  
**_

----November 5, 2004----  
  
Ephram spun around to face his Father. "Get out of here, you asshole! I don't want to see you again! I mean God, look what you've caused now!" He walked over to the floor and picked up the ring, put it in his pocket, and walked away without turning back. He walked through the hospital, aimlessly for a few hours and then finally stopped in the waiting room to sit down. He had no idea what he was going to do about the recent events. He loved Amy and wanted, no needed, her to forgive him. But he cared about Madison too, as a friend and the Mother of his first child. And of course, he cared for his 2 daughters: Kelly and Julia, who were conceived three months apart, but were ironically born three days apart. With those restless thoughts in mind, he drifted off to sleep.  
  
----November 6, 2004----  
  
"Ephram? Ephram? Ephram wake up!" Madison said, as she lightly shook Ephram from his odd sleeping position in an uncomfortable looking chair, in the waiting room.  
  
"Madison?" Ephram asked groggily, as he rubbed his tired eyes.  
  
"Yeah, it's me." Madison said. She was no longer dressed in a hospital gown. She was wearing an over sized blue sweater that made her hair look even more beautiful, white jeans, blue socks, and white tennis shoes. "What are you doing out here?"  
  
That question made all of the questions from the night before flood into his mind. "What time is it?"  
  
"A little after nine A.M. Why?" Madison asked, as she helped her ex out of the chair.  
  
"Shit!" Ephram cursed.  
  
"What?" Madison asked, concerned.  
  
"It's just...Amy heard my Dad and I fighting last night and got the wrong part of the conversation. Then she threw my ring back at me and locked me out of the room." Ephram blurted out. He felt like he could tell Madison anything; she was that good of a friend.  
  
"Oh Ephram, I'm so sorry!" Madison apologized.  
  
"It isn't your fault. But when I tell her about Kelly, it will just make things even more upsetting, I know it!" Ephram whimpered. He eyed Madison's clothes one more time. "Are you going somewhere?"  
  
"Yeah, I was getting ready to leave. It was my last day at the hospital." Madison said.  
  
"Where's Kelly?" Ephram asked, growing more concerned. "You weren't giv.."  
  
"No!" Madison cut in. She shook her head fiercely. "They were just prepping her, before I took her." She walked down a hall with Ephram. "Do you want to come with me to get her?"  
  
Ephram nodded. "I have nothing better to do."  
  
"Hey, maybe after that, we could go to the cafeteria and chat." Madison suggested. "You look like you could use something to eat."  
  
"Hospital food?" Ephram questioned, as they rounded a corner.  
  
"Okay, not the best unless you love processed turkey, but it's still nutrition." Madison reasoned.  
  
Ephram shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Besides, I could get to hang around Kelly a little more."  
  
Madison smiled inwardly, at the change of tone when he talked about Kelly. 'He already loves her.' She thought. "Wait, stop here. This is where I'm supposed to pick her up." She opened the door that they were standing by and poked her head in. "Hello? Madison Kellner here, to pick up Kellner Brown." She walked inside, followed by Ephram.  
  
A Nurse walked over to Madison. "Oh, Ms. Kellner! Hello. Yeah, little Kellner is over here and ready to go." She said, as she picked up the baby.  
  
Madison smiled and took the bundle of pink blanket and blonde hair. "Thank you."  
  
"And who are you?" The Nurse asked, as she eyed Ephram.  
  
"He's Kelly's Father." Madison interrupted.  
  
"Oh! The Father! Why didn't you say so? We were wondering when he'd come to sign the birth certificate!" The Nurse said. She walked over to a small file and rummaged through it, then pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Ephram. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a blue pen. "Please just sign there." The Nurse said, as she pointed to a blank line.  
  
Ephram mentally read over the paper and then leaned it against the wall and signed his name on the empty line next to, 'Father:'. Then he handed the certificate and paper back to the Nurse. "Thank you."  
  
"No, thank you!" The Nurse said, cheerfully. She put the pen back in her pocket and the certificate back in the file. "We'll be mailing to the certificate, once we have made a few copies for our own files." She said, as she looked at the new parents.  
  
"Well, thank you very much." Madison said. She turned to push the door open, but Ephram opened it for her. "Thanks, Ephram."  
  
"Sure." Ephram said, as he followed his ex and daughter into the hallway. "Can I carry her to the cafeteria?" He asked.  
  
Madison stopped and turned to face him. "Well she's your daughter too...I don't see why not." Madison said, as she gently placed Kelly in Ephram's arms.  
  
Ephram carefully held Kelly and followed Madison. "She's so little."  
  
"I know..It's amazing, isn't it?" Madison said.  
  
"She's so..." Ephram didn't know how to finish the sentence. He had 2 perfect daughters with 2 different women. He also had no idea what to do. "Where are you living now? Where have you been since you left Everwood?"  
  
Madison frowned. "This little nobody town, just outside of Everwood, it's called Green Pines and it's so small I doubt that they even bothered to put it on a map."  
  
"Do you have a nice place?"  
  
Madison let out a small laugh. "A very tiny and very old apartment, it's all I can afford. Well, all I could afford. Now I don't even know if I can afford that. Especially now that I'll need all the money your Dad sends me for Kelly."  
  
"I'll help out!" Ephram said, on instinct.  
  
"Ephram..." Madison began.  
  
"No. Madison, I know I made a commitment to Amy and Julia, but when I slept with you and helped to make this little miracle here, I made a commitment to her too." Ephram cut in.  
  
"But you're only seventeen and you'll need everything you have to take care of Julia." Madison pointed out.  
  
"And Kelly." Ephram said, in a defiant tone. He followed Madison into the cafeteria. "How the hell am I going to break the news to Amy though? And oh God, her family!"  
  
"You shouldn't feel bad about this, Ephram. Your Father was the one who decided not to allow you to know. And I was the one who agreed to listen to him. It isn't your fault at all." Madison said, as she found an empty table and sat down.  
  
Ephram sat down too and then Kelly started to whimper. He gently rocked Kelly, but she just got louder. "Uh..Mad..Madison...What's wrong? What am I doing wrong?"  
  
Madison laughed and took Kelly from Ephram. "She probably just needs a change. Here, I'll go do that and you get something to eat." She said, as she stood up with the fussy baby.  
  
"Do you want anything?"  
  
"Nah, I already ate." Madison said, as she walked out of the room to go change Kelly.  
  
Ephram got up and got in line. He huffed, at the thought of the hospital food. He waited a few minutes and then finally reached the front. He grabbed a tray and decided to get an apple, a jello cut, and a little bottle of milk. He walked back to the table and found that Madison was already there.  
  
"See, she's all better now." Madison said, as she slowly rocked Kelly back and forth.  
  
Ephram moaned. "I should've known that she needed a change. God, I'm a lousy excuse for a Father."  
  
Madison rolled her eyes. "Don't say that. It takes a while. All babies are different. You have to be around them for a while. Learn their different cries and cooes."  
  
"They have different cries? Oh God, I'm so dead!" Ephram muttered.  
  
"Oh Ephram! I know you're already going to be an amazing Father! I saw the way you were holding Kelly and the way you talked to her! Pro I tell you! You're a Pro!"  
  
"Really?" Ephram asked, then took a bite of the apple.  
  
"Oh, most definitely!" Madison assured him. She glanced down at Kelly, who'd drifted off to sleep.  
  
"Look. I was thinking, while you left to take care of Kelly, and I think that you need to move back to Everwood. You know, so we can both take care of Kelly." Ephram said. He took a drink of milk.  
  
"Ephram..I don't know..I mean, there isn't really a place for me to stay and it's expensive enough as it is and...."  
  
"Move in with me!" Ephram blurted out.  
  
"What?!" Madison coughed, with wide eyes. "You're Dad went through great lengths to keep us apart! Why do you think he'd allow me to move in? And what about Amy? How will she feel about that? You're engaged!"  
  
Ephram frowned. "We were engaged." He sighed, as a stinging feeling ran through him. He pulled the ring from his pocket. "She won't even look at me now."  
  
"Ephram, she's the Mother of one of your children! Trust me, she will want you to come back. She is going to need you!"  
  
"But you didn't hear or see what happened! She hates me!" Ephram protested, as he took a large bite of the jello.  
  
"Finish your food and then we'll go talk to her."  
  
Ephram nearly choked on his jello. "We will go talk to her? As in, you and I? She's already pissed off and hurt! I don't know if seeing you is a good idea."  
  
"I'll explain to her about Kelly." Madison offered.  
  
"Madison..."  
  
"Enough talk. We're going to get this settled, between you and your fiance." Madison said, making the decision final.


	4. Three Way Chat

A/N: auggy1984: Well, I'm glad you're really liking these recent chapters. I have something special planned for this story and it may or may not surprise some of ya....

**4.04 _Three Way Chat  
_**

----November 6, 2004----  
  
It was about 9:45 A.M. as Madison, who was holding Kelly, and Ephram reached Amy's closed hospital room. Madison reached out and gently knocked on the door.  
  
----  
  
"Who is it?" A quiet voice, Amy, came from inside.  
  
----  
  
"Madison Kellner." Madison answered. She waited a moment and then the door opened. "And Ephram." She finished.  
  
Amy glared at them both and was about to shut the door, when Madison blocked it with her foot. "Please, we need to talk."  
  
"Why?" Amy asked, angrily. She looked at Ephram with disgust. "How dare you bring your ex to talk with me! First you call this a 'situation' and now you bring your ex to try and smooth things over? You're sick!"  
  
"That's not true!" Ephram exclaimed.  
  
"Ephram. Shh." Madison said. She looked Amy in the eyes. "Please, give us ten minutes."  
  
Amy seemed hesitant and then she finally opened the door. "Ten minutes and then I want you out of my sight, for good."  
  
Ephram and Madison walked into the room and Amy shut the door again. Ephram sat down at the small table.  
  
"What do you want?" Amy asked.  
  
"About the conversation you heard between Ephram and Dr. Brown last night." Madison said.  
  
"So she is here about that!" Amy snapped, as she reched for the door again.  
  
Madison blocked the door. "No. Just listen. Look, I dropped a bomb shell on Ephram last night when I saw him by the Nursery. When we were together, just before we broke up in fact, we slept together. After we broke up. I was late three times. I went to Dr. Brown and found out I was pregnant and I wanted to tell Ephram. To make a long story short, Dr. Brown forbid it and said he'd help me as long as I didn't go to Ephram. I knew he was wrong, but I gave in anyway. I moved to a little place outside of Everwood called Green Pines and four days ago, on the second, I gave birth to my and Ephram's daughter: Kellner Delia Brown, Kelly for short. I wasn't going to tell him, but when I was him last night in person, I couldn't hold it in any longer and spilled everything to him. What you heard last night was him confronting his Father about not telling him about Kelly and I. The 'situation' was having two kids at seveteen, with two different women. It wasn't about you at all. Please, Amy, don't be mad at him. He loves you, I can tell. If anyone, be mad at me and Andy. But not Ephram, I swear he had no idea until last night!" Madison said, sincerely.  
  
Amy just stared at Madison, in shock. She walked over to her hospital bed and sat down, feeling very numb. She blinked a few times and tried to soak in everything that Madison had just told her, but it all felt so surreal. _Ephram has another child....Another child with Madison! His ex-girlfriend! _She thought.  
  
"Amy?" Ephram said, looking concerned. He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Amy?"  
  
Amy shook her head, looking dazed. "Please...just go..now. I..I have to think."  
  
Ephram looked over at Madison and Madison nodded her head. "I'll be in the cafeteria if you want to find me." Ephram said. Then he turned and left the room with Madison.


	5. Say Bye To Mommy And Daddy

A/N: Wow! I got so many reviews for this chapter! auggy1984: Well, I can sort of see why Amy is so upset. I mean, that is A LOT for anyone to handle. Especially after just giving birth to a 3 month premie at the age of 17. Just give her time. ;) You'll see how things work out. hand3: I will definitely try to make things longer and detailed. Sometimes it's just hard to figure out where to stop or start things. I just kind of have to go with creative flow, so to speak. freak4wb: lol Well I feel very complimented that you like my writing, especially when you're not a Ephram and Amy fan! :) And no, I don't plan on this being over "too soon". It will have at least 22 chapters (and I may or may not have a sequel, depending on how I want this story to progress). But I will take your request about writing an Ephram & Madison fic into consideration.

**4.05 _Say Bye To Mommy And Daddy  
_**

----November 6, 2004----  
  
Ephram ran his fingers through his hair and then held his head, tightly. "Ahh! What am I going to do? Did you see that look in her eyes?" He moaned, as her swayed back and forth against the wall, outside of the hospital.  
  
Madison switched a sleeping Kelly to her other arm. "I'm sorry, Ephram. We tried and now it is up to her."  
  
"Maybe we didn't try hard enough?"  
  
"Who are you and what have you done with the Ephram I used to know? The Ephram I used to know, could make any situation seem okay." Madison said.  
  
Ephram looked up. "He doesn't exist anymore. This Ephram is a teenage Father to two now and he has no time to make things 'seem okay'."  
  
"What happens when your daughter comes home crying because her asshole of a boyfriend dumped her? Will you still be saying that you have no time to make things better?" Madison asked.  
  
"No, I'd just go out and kill him." Ephram replied, stubbornly.  
  
Madison sighed. "See, Eph. That is why I broke up with you. Sometimes you just revert back to your immature self."  
  
"And what am I when I'm not acting like my 'immature self'?"  
  
"An amazing, loving, caring, and really hot guy." Madison replied.  
  
Suddenly Kelly awoke and began to scream for no reason.  
  
Ephram winced at the sound. "What's wrong with her?"  
  
"She's probably hungry. Look, Eph. I have to go. I'll call the hospital for you later...." Madison said, as she walked away with a very loud Kelly.  
  
Ephram could only stare, as his ex and daughter disappeared from sight. He walked back into the warm hospital and decided to walk around aimlessly for a while.  
  
----1 Hour Later----  
  
Ephram found himself back at Amy's door. "Well here goes nothin'." He said, as he knocked.  
  
----  
  
"Who is it?" Amy's quiet voice came from inside the room.  
  
----  
  
Ephram jiggled the door handle and to his surprise, it opened. "Me." He said, as he walked in and shut the door behind him. He looked at the bed and froze in his tracks. "Uhh..." He mumbled, as he saw Amy nursing Julia.  
  
Amy's eyes got a little wider. "Ephram..I...What are you doing here."  
  
Ephram shielded his eyes. "I'm sorry...Should I leave?"  
  
Amy wanted to laugh, but held it in. There was a long pause. "No. You can stay." She whispered.  
  
"Where should I sit?" Ephram asked. He had now turned and was looking at the wall.  
  
"It's okay, Ephram. You don't have to look away. I mean, you have seen me in a lot less...." Amy said, with an almost cheerful voice. "Julia is proof of that."  
  
"Are you sure?" Ephram asked, as he began to turn around.  
  
"Yes." Amy replied.  
  
Ephram looked at Amy again, but he was still a little nervous. He pulled the chair away from the table and brought it to Amy's bedside. There was a long moment of silence, as Amy and Ephram just watched their daughter. He then opened his mouth to speak. "Does it..hurt?"  
  
Amy kept her eyes on Julia. "Sort of. But, look at how perfect she is....I mean, I know she doesn't mean any harm and that sort of out weighs any physical discomfort."  
  
"She is so tiny." Ephram murmured.  
  
"I know." Amy said, as she gazed at the tiny baby in her arms. "I swear, none of her clothes will fit her."  
  
"Maybe we'll have to take her home in doll clothes?" Ephram suggested.  
  
Amy laughed. "Actually, people have done that before, when their children were born premature."  
  
"Do you know when she can come home?"  
  
"In three weeks. I, on the other hand, can go home in a week." Amy replied.  
  
Julia stopped nursing and leaned further into Amy's arms. Her tiny eyes closed.  
  
Amy buttoned her shirt.  
  
"Can I?" Ephram asked.  
  
Amy nodded and carefully placed Julia into Ephram's arms. "Support her head."  
  
"Amy, I had a baby sister you know." Ephram replied, as he carefully supported Julia's head. "I'm sorry."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Everything." Ephram replied, numbly. "For all the pain I've caused you."  
  
"I was pregnant. Pain comes whether you want it or not." Amy replied.  
  
"No..I mean about the whole Madison ordeal." Ephram replied, as he slowly rocked his daughter in his arms.  
  
"I've had a while to think about that." Amy replied.  
  
"And?" Ephram said, hopefully, as he shifted his gaze to Amy.  
  
"I know it isn't your fault. Your Father should have told you that you got Madison pregnant." Amy replied.  
  
Ephram could feel a 'but' coming.  
  
"But..."  
  
_I knew it. _Ephram thought.  
  
"....if he had, you probably wouldn't have gone to New York."  
  
"Yeah, I know I wouldn't have."  
  
"And we probably would have broken up."  
  
Ephram nodded. "Probably."  
  
"So, in a sense, I'm sort of glad it happened the way it did. I mean, even though I suffered for like six months or whatever, I wouldn't have it any other way. Now that I've held her in my arms and fed her, I can't image life without her!" Amy said, softly. He soft green eyes shifted to look at Ephram. "What about you?"  
  
Ephram stroked Julia's cheek with his finger. "Amy, I love you. And I love Julia too. If I could do it all over again, I'd do it the exact same way."  
  
"Do you still love Madison?"  
  
"Yes, but not in the same way I love you; she's more than 'just a friend' but not quite a girlfriend. You have to understand that she'll always have a place in my heart though. She was my first real relationship, the first woman I slept with, and the Mother of my first child. She'll always be special to me and we'll always have a bond: Kelly."  
  
A few tears formed in Amy's eyes.  
  
The tears didn't go unnoticed by Ephram. "Don't cry. Please don't cry. I'm just telling you the truth, Amy. And the truth is, I'll always love Madison more than just any old friend. I'll always love you too. It's different though, because you're the woman that I want..no, I need to spend the rest of my life with. You're my one and only. I'm helplessly and hopelessly in love with you." He said, with pure sincerity in his voice.  
  
"Do you really mean it?" Amy asked.  
  
"With everything that I am and everything that I'll ever be." Ephram replied.  
  
Without thinking, they leaned in to kiss each other. Just as their lips were about to touch, Julia burst into hysterical crying. Ephram instinctively pulled back and began to rock her. "Shh..Daddy's here, it's all right. Shhh..." Ephram whispered.  
  
Julia continued to scream.  
  
"What's wrong?" Amy said, with worry.  
  
**_----Flashback----_**  
  
_Ephram sat down too and then Kelly started to whimper. He gently rocked Kelly, but she just got louder. "Uh..Mad..Madison...What's wrong? What am I doing wrong?"  
  
Madison laughed and took Kelly from Ephram. "She probably just needs a change. Here, I'll go do that and you get something to eat." She said, as she stood up with the fussy baby.  
  
**----Flashback----**_  
  
"Maybe she needs a change. After all, you just fed her." Ephram said. He walked over to the little plastic 'bed', like the babies in the Nursery were in, and layed his daughter down. He bent down and grabbed a clean diaper, baby powder, and a baby wipe from under the 'bed'. He sat them on the bed next to Amy and took off Julia's diaper. He wrinkled his nose at the putrid smell and quickly rolled up the very dirty diaper. Then he wiped Julia with the baby wipe, sprinkled on the baby powder, and applied the fresh diaper. He grabbed the nasty diaper and tossed it into the trash, then picked up his daughter, who immediately stopped crying.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Look at her, she's fine now!" Amy gasped. She smacked her head. "I should have thought of the new diaper thing! Ugh..I'm a terrible Mother!"  
  
Ephram sat down on the bed, next to Amy. "No, you're not. You'll learn, trust me. We'll learn together."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Promise." Ephram said. He placed Julia back in Amy's arms and reached into his pocket, pulling out the engagement ring. "Will you still be my fiance?"  
  
Amy smiled and held out her hand. "I will."  
  
Ephram placed the ring on Amy's hand. "I love you."  
  
"I love you more." Amy replied.  
  
Julia squirmed in Amy's arms.  
  
Amy and Ephram both looked down at their daughter. They both knew that everyone said that babies couldn't smile that young. "She smiled!" They said in unison and were ready to swear that they'd both seen it.  
  
There was a knock at the door and then a Nurse walked in. "Sorry to interrupt, but if she's done nursing, I have to take her back to the incubator."  
  
"When can we visit her there?" Ephram asked.  
  
"In a few days, we'll allow visits." The Nurse replied, as she scooped Julia from Amy's arms and put her in the 'bed' and began to wheel her out of the room. "Say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy." The Nurse said, before she smiled and walked away.


	6. Music Warms The Heart And Soul

A/N: Divagurl277: Of course! Julia is their sweet little baby! ;) She has to be included in their wedding! lol colorado2: NO! I promise, this will stay an Ephram & Amy fic! However, Madison is a big part of Ephram's life now, and you have to remember that. I mean, I can't exactly include Kelly if I don't include Madison. She is, after all, half of Madison. ;) hand3: Ah! I'm trying to add more and more detail! lol othnaleyfan: Thanks for reviewing and thanks for your imput about premature babies. I didn't know that and I'll try keep that in mind for the future.

**4.06 _Music Warms The Heart And Soul  
_**

----November 7, 2004----  
  
Amy and Ephram had just finished talking about how they were going to break the news about Kelly and Madison, to Amy's family. Amy had Julia in her arms and was carefully rocking the child. Suddenly they heard a knock at the door.  
  
The door opened and Madison poked her head inside. "Amy? Ephram?"  
  
"Madison..." Amy replied. She gave a little nod. "Come in."  
  
Madison shook her head, revealing a bundle in her arms. "No..I probably shouldn't." She got a glimpse of Julia's head and felt a little twing of sorrow.  
  
Amy was watching Madison carefully and saw the look of discomfort of her face. "Please, come in. There's a chair, right over there."  
  
Ephram stood up, from the bed. He walked over and pulled out the chair for Madison. "Please, Madison?"  
  
Madison sighed and came into the room, with an awkward sensation. She held Kelly close and sat down. "I..uh, just came by to see how you and Ephram were? I mean, if you'd worked things out."  
  
Ephram stood in the room, between Madison and Amy, and his two children.  
  
"Things are okay now." Amy replied. She held up her hand, that had her engagement ring.  
  
"Oh. That's good. Well...I should probably be going now." Madison said.  
  
Kelly and Julia started to whimper, at the exact same time.  
  
"Is that...Kelly?" Amy asked.  
  
Madison nodded. "Julia?"  
  
Amy nodded.  
  
Ephram bit his lip, out of nervousness.  
  
Madison and Amy exchanged looks.  
  
"I think that maybe Ephram should have some alone time with his daughters." Amy finally said.  
  
"Amy, I think that would be a fine idea." Madison replied, sincerely. She walked over to Ephram and nudged him over to Amy's bed. Then she placed her fussy daughter into Ephram's right arm.  
  
Amy leaned up and placed fussy Julia into Ephram's left arm.  
  
Ephram, who looked quite terrified to say the least, gave pleading looks to Amy and Madison. "Wh..wha..what are you doing? Where are you going?"  
  
"Out." Madison replied. She pulled a wheelchair from the corner of the room and wheeled it over to Amy's bed. "Let's go for a walk. I think we have a lot of things to discuss."  
  
Amy slid out of bed and into the wheel chair. "You're right. Good luck, sweetheart." She blew Ephram a kiss.  
  
"Amy! Madison! Wait!" Ephram begged, as Julia and Kelly got louder.  
  
"They really are sisters." Madison said, cheerfully.  
  
"We'll be back in a while." Amy said, as Madison wheeled her out of the room.  
  
Ephramed wobbled to the bed, trying to balance each daughter in his arms. Then he carefully sat down and leaned against the wall. That's when Kelly and Julia burst into hysterical crying. "Why?" He asked, as he looked at the ceiling. He tried gently rocking both girls, but it made the crying louder. He tried singing, but their faces turned crimson red. "Okay, I get it. I'm a bad singer! Please, give me some sign of what to do?" Then he heard a soft melody, from outside the hospital room. He placed both girls in small plastic 'bed' that the Nurses strolled them around in. He then strolled them out of the room, following the sweet melody, while both children wailed. He was getting many looks from many people, but he didn't care. He was sure of what he had to do. He followed the melody to the court yard and into a small room within the court yard, where he found an elderly man playing a beautiful black piano. The girls seemed to quiet down, ever so slightly.  
  
The elderly man turned in his seat and stopped playing, making Kelly and Julia's crying get louder. He stood up and walked over to Ephram. "Young man, shouldn't you be tending these children?"  
  
Ephram nodded. "If I can borrow the piano, then I think I might be able to do just that."  
  
"So, you have the gift?" The elderly man asked, with a twinkle in his eye. He looked into the 'bed' and smiled at the screaming infants. "Go ahead."  
  
Ephram walked over to the piano bench and sat down. He took a few deep breaths, flexed his fingers, and then began to play a sweet melody. The room fell silent, except for Kelly and Julia. But as he played, their crying became considerably less, and soon it had stopped all together. Ephram had only one goal now, to make his daughters happy, and he continued to play his heart out for his two beautiful girls.  
  
----5 Minutes Later----  
  
Ephram slowed down his pace and then finally let his fingers disconnect with the keys. He looked around and finally noticed that a crowd had gathered inside and outside of the room, to listen to Ephram's music.  
  
The crowd appluaded Ephram, for several minutes.  
  
Ephram then stood up, did a quick bow, and walked over to his daughters. He leaned over the 'bed' and gazed at them. They had their tiny hands locked together and they were sleeping peacefully. Kelly looked fine, but Julia looked as if she was having a little trouble breathing. She always looked like that, because her lungs weren't fully developed. _I should take them back soon, so they can put Julia back in the incubator._ He sighed.  
  
"Are they yours?" The elderly man asked.  
  
Ephram nodded.  
  
"Good job, son." He whispered, as he gave Ephram a reassuring pat on the back. "With that talent, you'll go far in life."  
  
"Thank you." Ephram replied, as he turned and strolled his sleeping daughters from the room.


	7. All For One And One For All

A/N: Thanks to everyone to reviewed! kursk: I'm glad you liked the detail I put into writing about the piano! Unfortunately, I wasn't planning on telling about Madison and Amy's conversation. However, since you wanted to know, I might do some sort of flashback thing in later chapters. ;) Thanks for commenting. auggy1984: Yeah. I likethe idea of Amy and Madison getting along. It fits for my storyline and so much humor can be pulled from that. Alixandra: Wow, thanks! That's actually what I really want to do! I LOVE writing! My dream job is to write episodes for some hit television show! And I'm glad that you're happy with Amy and Madison putting their issues aside.

**4.07 _All For One And One For All  
_**

----November 12, 2004----  
  
Ephram gently took Amy's hand and helped her out of the hospital bed. It had been a week and she could go home now. "Are you sure you're feeling well enough to go home?"  
  
"As well as can be expected." Amy replied. She kissed Ephram on the cheek. "I love that you care so much."  
  
"And I just love that I can love you." Ephram replied.  
  
"You should probably stay away from my house for a while, though. My Father is still really angry about the whole Madison situation." Amy warned.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. I think he's more mad your Dad, than at you. I think that he thinks, that none of this would of happened, if your dad had told you."  
  
Ephram kissed Amy's neck. "He's right, none of it would of happened. I'd probably be back with Madison."  
  
"But I'm glad you're with me." Amy replied. She leaned her head into Ephram's shoulder for a moment. "I hate leaving the hospital without Julia."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I'm afraid something terrible with happen once I'm gone."  
  
Ephram gave his fiance a sympathetic look. "I know exactly how you feel. I've felt the same way, every time I've had to leave."  
  
"Have you talked to your Dad yet?"  
  
"No. I'm too furious to speak to him."  
  
"What do you think we should do? I mean....you need to spend time with Julia and I need the help. But I know Madison does too." Amy carefully brushed her hair.  
  
"I don't know yet. I want to get away, so I won't have to stay with my Father anymore, and I want Madison to move back to Everwood." Ephram replied, as he stared at the white walls.  
  
"I've been thinking about that too." Madison said, from the doorway.  
  
"Madison!" Ephram and Amy replied, in unison.  
  
"Sorry..Did I interrupt something?" Madison asked.  
  
"No, not at all." Amy replied. She motioned for Madison to come in. "Oh, you brought Kelly." She smiled. "Julia's not here right now though."  
  
Madison walked in.  
  
"You didn't interrupt anything." Ephram assured her. "Umm, what were you going to say?"  
  
"I don't know.." Madison replied, distantly. "It's sort of an idiotic idea."  
  
"Please, tell us." Amy offered.  
  
"Eph, do you really want me to move back to Everwood?" Madison replied.  
  
"Of course I do!" Ephram replied, sincerely.  
  
"We do. Ephram shouldn't have to choose one daughter over the other." Amy replied.  
  
Ephram grinned. "You're taking this better than I thought you would."  
  
"Well, I had thought about for a long time." Amy replied. "I tried to make myself think about how I'd be feeling if I was in Madison's place and to tell you the truth, it sucked. I don't want to make this worse than it already is, for anyone. And I don't want my daughter to have to grow up without knowing her older sister."  
  
"I think that's really mature of you, Amy. Thank you." Madison replied. She pulled a bottle from Kelly's diaper bag and put it into Kelly's mouth. "You should take a lesson from her, Ephram."  
  
Ephram let out a little moan.  
  
"Anyway, what were you planning on telling us?" Amy persisted.  
  
"Well..." Madison said, trying to find the right words. "I was thinking that maybe....Team parent."  
  
"'Team parent'?" Ephram asked.  
  
"Yes." Madison replied.  
  
"And that would include?" Ephram asked.  
  
"Getting a mutual apartment. Three bedrooms. I could get a night job and..." Madison trailed off. "Like I said, stupid idea."  
  
Amy and Ephram exchanged looks.  
  
"No..Go on." Amy said, with a look of interest.  
  
"She's right. Maybe you're on to something." Epham urged.  
  
"Well you two have school and everything, so I was thinking that while you are at school, I could watch the girls. Then I could get a night job and go to work, while you two take care of the girls. That way we could keep an apartment and still work out a way to raise Kelly and Julia." Madison explained.  
  
"But I have a job, after school in Denver." Ephram replied.  
  
"Well..I could take care of the girls while you and Madison work." Amy replied. "And I could get a weekend job or something, so I could pitch in too. And you and Madison could take care of the girls on the weekend." Amy reasoned.  
  
Ephram rolled the idea around in his head for a few minutes and then slowly shook his head. "I think..I think that's a brilliant idea! We'd all be getting what we want and it would work out great!"  
  
"But there's only one problem." Amy said.  
  
"What?" Ephram asked.  
  
"Your parents." Madison replied. "I know, I already thought of that. You'd need permission to move out, since your both only seventeen."  
  
"And my Father will never let me move out." Ephram concluded.  
  
Amy's angelic face formed into a bitter frown. "My Dad would never allow it. I mean, and no offence Madison, but two females in one apartment, with one guy. My Dad is already ranting and raving about Ephram and you."  
  
"And he was already upset about Amy and myself." Ephram replied. He folded his arms over his chest and contemplated the situation.  
  
"They'd want adult supervision." Amy added.  
  
"And I'm not exactly the ideal 'adult'." Madison finished. She exchanged looks with the 17-year-olds.  
  
"Damn." Amy said, as she tossed her hands into the air. "It was a perfect plan too!"  
  
Ephram cupped his chin with his hand and narrowed his eyes to the floor.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Madison and Amy asked, in unison, as they eyed Ephram.  
  
Ephram raised his eyes and stared at his former and current loves. "That's creepy, you know."  
  
"What?" Madison and Amy asked, together.  
  
"That." Ephram said, as he motioned his hands at Amy and Madison.  
  
Amy and Madison raised their eyebrows.  
  
Ephram rolled his eyes.  
  
"Would you prefer it...." Madison began.  
  
"If we talked like this?" Amy finished.  
  
Ephram cupped his ears. "Come on! Let's think seriously now." He walked over and picked Kelly from Madison's arms. He lovingly tickled the under side of Kelly's chin and Kelly giggled softly. "  
  
Amy rung her fingers together, as a sly smile formed on her face. "What if we can get my Mom on our side? You know, something like....."  
  
"Having her check in on us every day?" Madison filled in.  
  
"That way there's adult supervison and we get our own life!" Ephram concluded.  
  
"I know that if we present this, in an adult fashion to my Mother, she'll totally take our side! She's been on our side the whole time." Amy said, as she walked over to Ephram and Kelly. She smiled as she gazed at Kelly. "If we can get this to work, I think it'll be the best thing."  
  
"You do realize that we're all gonna pay for months, right?" Madison asked.  
  
Ephram and Amy exchanged looks, then turned their gaze back to Madison. "We wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
Madison smiled.  
  
Ephram held out his free hand in the center of the room. "All for one and one for all?"  
  
Amy placed her hand over Ephram's hand.  
  
Madison, following suit, placed her hand over Amy's hand.


	8. Homecoming

A/N: Divagurl277: Oh, awesome! That whole "element of surprise" was something I was aiming for! Thanks for reviewing! colorado2: You don't sound very sure....Well don't worry, this is (and will continue to be), an Ephram & Amy romance. But of course, there will be the ups and downs. ;) (After all, "Everwood" is all about the drama.)

**4.08 _Homecoming_**

----November 26, 2004----

Ephram's heart was pounding, as he stood outside the Nursery window. He wrapped his arm tightly around Amy and he could sense that she was barely able to contain her excitement as well.

"We're finally gonna get to take our daughter home today.." Amy breathed, as her body rattled with excitement.

Ephram gently ran his hand through Amy's soft hair and then caressed her cheek. "I'm so happy!"

"Delia and my Mom are gonna flip, when we get her over to the new apartment!" Amy said, as she laced her fingers together.

"The new apartment.." Ephram repeated. "I can't believe it, you know? Just two weeks ago we were talking about this and now we actually have the apartment within our grasp!"

"We just have to convince our Fathers to let us actually move in." Amy added, with a look of extreme displeasure.

"I have faith in your Mom, Amy. She's helped us so much already. I truly believe that she is going to be the key to getting the five of us into that apartment. It's perfect!" Ephram said, with an unusual sense of optimism, especially for him.

"Who are you and hat have you done with the man that I'm going to marry?" Amy asked, as she raised her eyebrows.

"What?"

"You're never the optimismtic one!" Amy pointed out. "Since when did we role swap?"

Ephram was about to answer, when the Nursery door flipped open, and the Nurse walked out with Julia in her arms. The tiny infant was now three weeks old and she had slight color in her cheeks and skin, her eyes were bright, and she didn't have to struggle to breathe now. Many of the staff at the hospital had been amazed by Julia's miraculous climb in health, for such a premature child. Julia was wrapped in a pink blanket with a soft, fuzzy pink baby cap on her head. "She's doing extremely well. But any cold or infection could cause drastic problems." The Nurse warned. "So you must keep her mostly inside, for the next month, with constant care!"

Amy and Ephram nodded.

The Nurse gently placed Julia into Amy's arms and the infant wiggled her tiny fingers, involuntarily. Then she quickly pulled out the baby carrier from inside the Nursery and handed it to Ephram. "Remember, if anything happens, bring in back to the hospital immediately."

"Of course." Ephram complied. "Thank you."

Feeling that she'd done well, the Nurse wanded back into the Nursery, letting the door close behind her.

Ephram placed his arm around Amy's shoulders and with his free hand, he took Julia's tiny hand, and began to assuage it with his fingers.

"What a photogenic moment." Madison called, as she rounded the corner with a camera in her hands. Amy and Ephram smiled, as Madison snapped a picture of the three of them.

"Where's Kelly?" Ephram asked.

"At the new apartment, with Mrs. Abbott and Delia." Madison replied. "Delia was thrilled to spend time with her and she's really excited about Julia coming home."

"Home." Ephram and Amy echoed, together.

"At least I hope so." Amy added, with a frown.

"Come on, my car is out front." Madison said, as he motioned for them to follow her.

----45 Minutes Later----

Madison pulled into the driveway of a quaint little apartment. It had taken a few weeks, but they'd managed to find it and talk to the owner, after running the idea by Rose. Madison got out of the car and was greeted by Delia, who was holding Kelly. "Hey Delia!" Madison said, with a grin. "Was Kelly good for you?"

"Yep and it was so much fun!" Delia replied, happily.

Madison pulled a five dollar bill from her pocket and gave it to Delia, then scooped Kelly from her arms.

"What's this for?" Delia asked, perplexed.

"For babysitting! Ever good babysitter should get paid." Madison explained.

Delia frowned and put the bill back in Madison's hand.

"Delia?" Madison asked, confused.

"Keep it. I'm sure Kelly will need it for something." Delia explained.

Madison smiled at the young girl's generosity and maturity. "Thanks Delia."

"From all of us." Amy added, as she walked over. "I heard what you said and I think you're very mature for your age."

Delia beamed with pride and then reached out and stroked Julia's face. "Thanks." She said, with a shrug of her shoulders. "But it isn't that big of a deal."

Amy and Madison exchanged looks. "It is." They replied, together.

Ephram woddled over to the group. He had a diaper bag around his neck, a carrier in one hand, and several bags in the other hand.

"Needing a little help, Eph?" Madison asked, as she cocked her head to the side.

Ephram glared at his ex. "What does it look like?" He grumbled.

"I'll take Kelly back inside." Delia offered, as she took Kelly back and led Amy towards the house.

Madison took the bags from Ephram's hand.

"So, what were you girls talking about?" Ephram asked, curiously.

Madison smirked. "Oh, just how mature your sister is, and other girl talk that wouldn't interest you."

"My sister, mature?" Ephram rolled his eyes. "And I thought I was crazy."

Madison flicked Ephram on the shoulder. "Be nice to your sister!"

"Ow!" Ephram moaned. "Amy defends my sister enough, you should be on my side!"

"And betray the females of the world? I think not." Madison replied, as she walked inside the apartment.

Ephram shook his head. "Women.." He muttered as horror images of living with four women clouded his mind.

----

Amy brushed her hands together and fell into a large beanbag chair, that Delia had brought over. "I'm exhausted!"

Ephram plopped down next to Amy and kissed her on the lips. "But you still look hot." He commented, as he ran his fingers over her arm and used his fingers to trace the curves of her lips.

Rose walked into the room, with the cell phone in her hand. "I just phoned Andy and Harold. They'll be over here soon. They both are anxious to know what is going on."

"I'm amazed we kept this for so long." Amy commented.

"Is everything ready?" Ephram inquired.

"Yep." Amy nodded, as she raked her fingers through her hair.

Madison padded out of one of the three bedrooms. "The girls are sleeping peacefully, in their respective bassinets."

"Thanks, Madison." Amy replied.

"Where's Delia?" Ephram asked.

"She's in the room, watching the girls." Madison replied, as she gently closed the door to the room.

"She is such an amazing Aunt, already." Amy reflected.

"I know." Ephram said.

"Was that a compilment to your sister?" Amy asked, with wide eyes.

"No!" Ephram quickly said.

Madison smirked. "I think it was and I think we should tell her...What about you, Amy?"

"Most definitely!" Amy grinned.

"I'll deny it to the grave!" Ephram warned.

Amy and Madison rolled their eyes.

Suddenly a loud knocking noise rolled through the apartment.

"I'd know that knock anywhere." Rose said.

"It's Dad's impatient knock." Amy filled in, as she stood up from the beanbag, followed by Ephram.

"We'd better let 'em in." Rose replied.

Ephram took in a deep breath; his heart was pouding like crazy.

Rose walked to the door, placed her hand on the handle, then began turning it.


	9. It's All Up To You

A/N: Sorry for the late update! First of all, I've been stuck with loads of school projects/tests (end of the first 6 weeks). Second, I've had a mild writer's block for this next chapter. I know where I want to take this story and how to end it, but the hard part is getting from point A to point B. You know? Anyway, sorry for the wait. Sarai: Thanks for the insight.

**4.09 _It's All Up To You_**

----November 26, 2004----

Rose opened the door, greeting her husband and Andy with a smile. "Hello."

"What's going on?" Harold inquired.

"We have something to show you, Dad." Amy said. She gently took her Father's hand and led him further into the house.

Harold's brow furrowed.

"Ephram!" Andy's voice boomed. "I won't take another step until I find out what this is about!"

Rose shut the door, clicking the lock, then quietly stood in front of it. "Then you might want to take a seat, Dr. Brown."

"I feel that standing is fine." Andy replied. It was clear that his temper was becoming shorter and shorter.

Ephram breathed in, moistened his lips, and then locked eyes with his Father. "For the past few weeks, we've been looking for an apartment."

"'We'?" Andy cut in.

Ignoring his Father, Ephram continued. "Amy, Madison, and I made a pact. We want to live together. We consulted Mrs. Abbott and she said she'd help us find an apartment."

Harold threw his wife a dirty look.

"I plan to get a weekend job, so I can help look after the girls during the week, after school. Ephram can keep his job playing the piano, while Madison and I take care of the girls. Then Madison can get a night job, while Ephram and I take care of the girls. Madison would be taking care of Kelly and Julia when we're as school." Amy put in.

"We all want to help with the rent, utilities, and food. We feel it's the best way to keep the sisters together, as well as Ephram." Madison added.

_Sisters._ Andy thought. He blinked. He'd seen Julia and she was beautiful, but he had yet to see his eldest granddaughter. The child that he'd tried to ban from his and his family's lives.

"And you're on their side?" Harold asked, bluntly. He stared at his wife, in disbelief. "Two teenagers, two infants, and an young woman in the same house?"

"I am, Harold. And I will continue to be. I think it's a good idea. Ephram needs to be with both his children, as well as them with him, and each other. They've put quite a lot of thought into this and you should too! Don't you dare shoot it down just yet!" Rose replied, sternly.

Andy and Harold exchanged looks.

"You're actually considering this?!" Andy asked, in disbelief. He knew that look and didn't like it. This couldn't be!

Before anyone could say another word, a loud screaming errupted from the next room. The door opened and Delia walked out, carrying Kelly, who was crying like crazy.


	10. Brown Meets World

A/N: Wow....Writing this chapter was very touching and I hope you all like reading it as much as I liked writing it. Now, I don't remember if the show ever said how Andy and Julia met, so don't get mad at me if it did, and this wasn't how the show did it. This is my lil' world, so you'll see how they meet in my mind. ;) BTW, does anyone know what Julia's maiden name was? muse-of-the-fairies: lol Guess you'll have to read to find out. :) Also, this title is a play on the show, "Boy Meets World". I'm not sure if any of you have ever seen it, but I used to watch it before it switched stations. It was a really cute show!

**4.10 _Brown Meets World_**

----November 26, 2004----

"Hi, Dad." Delia replied, in monotone.

Kelly continued to wail, as all eyes in the room focused not on her, but on Andy.

Delia took slow, steady steps forward, until she stood inches from her Father. "I think she wants you to hold her." She held up the infant and glared heatedly into her Father's eyes, as if trying to burn a message into his brain.

Andy stood there, just staring at the child that was letting out cries that could probably break the sound barrier. His body felt numb, as he stared into her eyes; his late wife's eyes. At that moment, an entire floodgate of memories opened up and flew through his mind, like the breaking of the Hoover Dam.

**_----Flashback----_**

_A considerably young Andrew Brown rushed down a busy, cramped New York street. "I can't be late for this meeting!" He muttered, as he turned his arm to a flat ninty degree angle, to look at his watch. "I'm already ten minutes late!" He cried. As he began to put his arm down, he felt his body crash into something, then he felt himself tumbling to the ground. He saw his manilla folder fly from his hands, land on the ground, then a swirl of documents began to spin in the early morning breeze. "Damnit!" He cursed aloud._

_"I'm so sorry!" A soft, female voice cried. A woman with beautiful long, brown hair pulled herself to her feet and dusted off her new skirt, then she held out a hand, to Andy._

_Andy ignored the woman's hand and pulled himself up, never meeting the woman's eyes. He began to grab and reach for the various papers, that were now being stepped and scooted along, by strangers' feet._

_"Let me help you.." The Woman pleaded. She reached down, grabbing for various papers and rubbing away the shoe prints, then she stood up. She felt terrible. She was sure that if she hadn't been focusing on how bad she was going to do at her job interview, she would not have ran into this man._

_"That's perfectly alright. I can take it from here." Andy snapped, as he looked up and grasped at the papers in the Woman's hand. As his fingers wrapped around the papers, his eyes traveled to the sorrowful eyes of the Woman. Everything seemed to come to a complete stop and then fade out of existence, except for her. She was like an angel, in his mind._

_The Woman let out a small breath, not even taking the time to notice the puff of frozen air that drifted above her head, and dissipated into nothingness._

_"I'm Andy." Andy replied._

_"Julia." The Woman said, as her lips turned to a smile that could've warmed the world after the Ice Age. There was a long pause, as she stared at Andy. Then she heard someone yell something inappropriate at them. "I uh..I.."_

_Andy's face blushed a rose color, as he pulled his papers from Julia's hand and stuffed them carelessly into the manilla folder. "I guess we should probably be on our ways..."_

_"Yeah." Julia blushed. "I'm really sorry about the whole..." She motioned to the ground._

_"No..Actually, I wasn't paying attention." He moved out of the center of the sidewalk._

_"Let's just say we were equally at fault." Julia reasoned._

_"How about we make it up to each other by going to dinner, sometime?" Andy asked, without thinking._

_"What?" Julia said, with a shocked expression._

_"I mean...You..uh..you're probably married. I'm sorry, forget it." Andy stuttered._

_"No! No..It's just..." Julia bit her lip and her brown eyes twinkled with happiness. She pulled a pen and tissue from her pocket, scribbled something down, then handed the tissue to Andy. "Here's my number." She didn't even know why she was doing this. For all she knew, this man could be a mass murderer! But it was something in his eyes and something in her heart, that told her differently._

_"Thanks." Andy mumbled._

_Julia nodded, then rushed off into the chilly morning._

_Andy stood staring at the spot that Julia had just left. He couldn't get her eyes out of his mind's eye!_

**_----Flashback----_**

"Dad!" Delia yelled, summoning Andy back to reality.

Andy shook his head, clearly his mind of his late wife. "Yes?" He asked, his voice barely audible over Kelly's cries.

"Kelly wants you to hold her!" Delia snapped, putting emphasis on the name 'Kelly'.

"Kelly." Andy repeated, letting the words easily glide off his tongue. He held out his arms and gently wrapped his hands around the infant, carefully supporting her head, then he drew her to his chest. "Shhh, baby. Don't cry. It's all right." He whispered, without thinking. He began to rock the child back and forth. "Hush little baby." He whispered, as he thought of his late wife singing Delia to sleep at that age. "

Kelly's cries drew quieter and quieter, until they were a muffled moaning sound, and her brown eyes began to flutter. Her chest rose and fell with ease, as she settled into her Grandfather's arms and chest, then her noise ceased all together.

Andy stood lost in a trance, as he stared at his eldest grandchild, then his eyes shifted to Ephram. His gaze was hard and his heart was pumping so fast that he thought it might beat through his chest at any moment. "Ephram, if this is what you want...." He began, as his voice began to crack. "....then so be it."


	11. Third Rock From The Sunset

A/N: Obviously, this title is a play on, "Third Rock From The Sun". ;) I'm glad you liked the last chapter! There weren't a whole lot of reviews, but as long as I'm making the people who do review happy (and myself happy as I'm writing this), I'm good. Divagurl277: Unfortunately, I don't get that channel. :'( I wish I did! colorado2: Oh cool! Thanks for letting me know Julia's maiden name and how they actually met. I feel happy that you kinda like mine better. :-D

**4.11 _Third Rock From The Sunset_**

----November 26, 2004----

Ephram froze. _Did I just hear my Father correctly?_ He mentally asked himself. "Do..do you really mean it?" He whispered, reverting back to his 8-year-old self.

Andy nodded, without taking his eyes off his grandchild. "Yes." He answered, calmly. "I.." He paused, trying to formulate the correct words. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have hidden Madison's pregnancy." He padded over to Ephram and gently handed his granddaughter to his son. "If you want to live together, then do it. But make sure that this is the right choice and know that there will be rules." He added, sternly. "Once you have everything worked out, call me. I'll sign whatever you need." He walked to the door. "Come on, Delia."

Delia exchanged hugs with Madison and Amy, gave heartfelt goodbyes to Kelly and Julia, then bid a farewell to the rest of the people in the room. She was met with some type of response, before she left with her Father.

Amy stood to face her Father, expectantly. Nobody had expected the events that had led up to this moment, but now it was all on Harold's shoulders; the final say.

Harold zipped up his coat. "Come on, Rose. We need to get home."

"Harold.." Rose whispered.

"What?" Harold asked, as he reached for the door.

"The apartment." Rose answered, quietly but sternly.

"What about it?"

"What do you have to say?" Rose persisted.

Harold shrugged his shoulders. "I think Dr. Brown said it all, didn't he? We'll discuss the rules when everything is ready." He breathed in. "Until then, I think we should let them handle things."

Amy's jaw lightly dropped open. "Th-thank you, Dad!"

"Yes, well, take care." Harold replied, emotionlessly. "Come, Rose."

"I'll be out in a minute." Rose replied.

Harold simply nodded and left, leaving behind a cold breeze as he shut the door behind him.

"Mom..I-I..don't know what to say!" Amy gasped, as she ran to her Mother and fell into her arms.

"You will, when the time is right." Rose whispered. She hugged her only daughter, with tightness that only she could give. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you too, Mom." Amy replied.

Rose gave a quick kiss to the top of Amy's head. "I better go. Tell Julia that I love her, will you?"

"Of course, Mom." Amy replied.

"Goodbye Ephram, Madison." Rose said. "Good luck." She added, before slipping out the door.

----6:25 P.M.----

Rose and Harold were seated quietly, on their front porch. They were each staring at the gorgeous sunset, that was drifting away at the speed of molasses. Rose reached out, placing her hand over Harold's hand. "Thank you."

Harold looked up, his eyes were clouded with uncertainty. "For what?"

"Giving them a chance." Rose whispered. She gently squeezed the hand of the only man that she'd ever love.

Harold leaned in and gave his wife a kiss. "I'm glad you're happy." He whispered. _I just hope it was the right choice._

----

Andy was seated in a chair, in his room, by his window. The shades were open, so that he could watch the sunset. His breathing was slow and steady, but his body was trembling, especially his hands, which held a golden framed photo. His turned the framed picture over and stared into loving eyes of his late wife. "Oh Julia..." He whispered, as small salty droplets splashed onto the glass that covered the photo. "If only you could see him now..If only you could see all of them." His voice cracked with sorrow and pain.

The door cracked open and Delia walked in. "Dad?" She whispered.

Andy quickly wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "Yeah, Delia?"

"Are you upset?"

"No..Of course not. Why would I be?" He asked, as he quickly turned over the photo and set it on the edge of the window.

Delia padded over to her Father and gave him a hug. "'Cause..." She mumbled.

Andy pulled his youngest child into his lap and wrapped his arms around her tightly, never wanting to loose his baby girl. "'Cause why?"

"'Cause..." Delia replied, as she took the picture and turned it over. "You always turn to Mom for advice when you're upset." She noted, softly. She leaned back into her Father's chest and stared at her Mother's picture. "I miss her."

Andy closed his eyes and imagined some of the happy moments that the entire family spent together. "Me too, Delia..Me too."

----

Madison cradled a picture in her hands, as she sat on her bed, letting the last bit of light from the sunset hit her face, making her tears glisten. Strands of her flowing blonde hair were stuck to her face and her eyes weren't keeping her painful memories hidden right now. Her hands shook, as her fingers unwrapped themselves from the tattered photo. It was a picture of her and Ephram, on a sunny day at the park. _We were so happy._ She thought, as she collapsed into her pillow and let her sobs come freely, but it was only her that could hear them, through the thick cotton.

----

Amy and Ephram were seated on the steps, leading up to their new apartment. The night air was chilly, yet calm. Ephram had his arm wrapped protectively around his bride-to-be. They were watching he brilliant reds, yellows, pinks, and violets swirl in the sky as the sun sunk down.

"This looks so beautiful." Amy whispered, as she leaned closer into Ephram. "It makes it seem as if everything will be okay."

"It will be." Ephram insisted, as he gave a reassuring rub to Amy's arm. "You, Julia, Kelly, Madison....me..Everything will work itself into place."

Amy smiled. "I hope so."

"Well I know so." Ephram replied, with confidence. He could feel a new hope and faith, churning in his body. He was sure that everything would be fine. Maybe not now, but soon. He leaned in, planting a long and passionate kiss onto Amy's delicate lips.


	12. According To Delia

A/N: This title is a play on the T.V. show, "According To Jim". Thank you, to those of you who reviewed!

**4.12 _According To Delia_**

----December 5, 2004----

"I think this should go here." Delia replied, as she promptly held up a string of Christmas lights with one hand and pointed to the main window with the other. She had been coming over to the new apartment ever since her Father agreed to letting Ephram live there and for the past week, she'd been helping Madison and Amy with decorating for Christmas.

"I think that's a good idea." Amy affirmed. She pulled up a small step ladder and climbed to the top. "Can you get the cup push pins for me?"

Delia skipped merrily over to the counter, grabbed a plastic cup, and skipped back to Amy. "Here." She said, as she held up the cup.

Amy reached down, grabbing a push pin and the string of lights.

"These are going to look so cool!" Delia exclaimed, as she intently watched Amy and then held up another push pin, once the first had been stuck into the wall.

Amy took the second pin and began to poke it into the wall. "I think you're right. I bet Ephram will love it."

Delia wrinkled her nose. "He's being a grump this year."

"He's probably just stressed." Amy replied, coolly.

"But it's really bad this year! He snaps at like, everything!" Delia handed another push pin to Amy.

"Well, he hasn't gotten much sleep, either."

Delia shrugged. "I guess.."

"He'll get better by Christmas, I know it." Amy soothed, as she stepped to the lower step on the ladder, then took another push pin.

"When are you guys gonna get a tree?" Delia inquired.

"I don't know." Amy confessed. "We might not even get one, this year."

Delia's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "No way! It's Christmas! Isn't it like a rule that you have to get a tree or something?!"

Amy laughed and pined the last bit of the string of lights up, then she stepped off the ladder. "No, you don't have to have a tree to celebrate Christmas." Amy replied. She knelt down next to the electrical socket and plugged in the lights, making a beautiful colored glow around the window.

Delia stared at the window. "It looks really pretty." She trotted back over to the table and set down the cup of push pins. "Hey, I'm gonna go check on Kelly and Julia." She said, proudly. She had taken it upon herself to check her nieces every half an hour, if not sooner.

Ephram burst through the front door, with a frown upon his face. He had full bags hanging from both arms and a few around his neck.

"Oh, sweetie!" Amy mumbled, as she tried to hold in laughter.

"I can see you laughing." He replied, glumly.

"I am not!" Amy frowned.

"Inwardly."

"Well..."

Ephram waddled over to the table and released the bags in his hands and around his arms.

Amy padded over to Ephram and pulled the bags off his his neck, placed them on the floor, then wrapped her arms around his neck. "What's wrong?"

Ephram sighed and relaxed into Amy's arms. "Everything."

Amy pressed her lips tightly to Ephram's. She closed her eyes, as did Ephram, savoring the passionate kiss. When she pulled away, she caressed his cheek with her fingers. "Can I make it better?"

"No." Ephram sighed.

Amy pulled Ephram to a seated position, on a chair at the table. "Explain."

"It just....I'm so tired, Amy. I'm stressed, over-worked, and we still don't have enough money."

"Ephram! I'm trying to find a job and you know that!"

"I'm not blaming you! I'm just saying.."

"I know, I know." Amy sighed, as she cupped Ephram's hands with her own.

"With my piano job and Madison singing at various clubs, there's only so much money." Ephram explained, gently. "And we go through like five packs of diapers a week, at the minimum! Then there's food and..and..." His voice trailed off.

Amy wrapped her arms around Ephram, once more. "Like you said, it will all work itself out. And I believe that it will! You're doing great, Ephram. Julliard still wants you and you're keeping your grades up!"

"Doesn't matter. I mean, if I keep going like this, then I might not be able to keep my grades up. And how will Julliard work? I mean, we barely have enough money now! I'd have to move there. So would you and Julia. And what about Kelly?" Ephram said, exasperated. He placed his palms to the sides of his head and squinted his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

Amy began to gently rub Ephram's temples. "Oh Eph, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize...."

"It's okay, Ephram." Delia spoke up, from the doorway.

Ephram looked up to see his little sister. "Delia...I.."

Delia held up her hand, silencing her big brother. "No, let me say something." She crossed the room to her brother's side. "Ephram, the entire time I've known you, you've always kept everything together. You're like, Dad's pride and joy! After Mom died, you were like a Mom-Brother." Delia paused, trying to decide her next words carefully. "I know you can handle all this stuff, 'cause you were already doing it before Kelly and Julia came." She placed a comforting hand on her older brother's back.

Ephram felt his eyes sting and he reached up, embracing his little sister, and just held her for a few moments. "Thank you, Delia." He managed to whisper, into Delia's ear. "I love you."

Delia relaxed into her elder brother's arms. "I love you too, Ephram."


	13. Forbidden Fruit

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. BTW, did the show ever say the names of Madison's parents? coloado2: Heh...Well, Madison can't just "be over Ephram" in a "poof" way. They did have a child together and even though Ephram's heart is with Amy, I can't say that Madison won't have some troubles. Her daughter is a constant reminder of what she and Ephram shared and clearly, that can't be earased so easily. I have a feeling that you won't really like this next chapter, so I apologize in advance. But trust me, this won't turn into an Ephram & Madison fic. I'm a die hard Ephram & Amy fan, so that's how things will stay. But I love drama and angst (as long as it turns out the way I want)! So I hope you won't be too upset with me.

**4.13 Forbidden Fruit**

----December 10, 2004----

Amy's eyes tiredly flickered as she tried to stay awake for her last class of the day. Her face was pale, her eyes glassy, and her hair was a rumpled mess. Her fingernails were chipped and broken and her body frail. She wanted so much to collapse at right now and just drift into the world of sweet dreams about her and Ephram, before they had slept together. _I wish we could just get away from it all. It was good, when it was just him and I._ She thought, longingly. She quickly pinched herself for thinking thoughts like that. _I can't believe I'm even having thoughts like that! I love Ephram and I love our daughter! She's a miracle, that we created together! But...._ She let out a ragged sigh. _It's just so hard, now._ She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and raked her left hand through her hair.

"Something wrong, Ms. Abbott?" The Teacher, Mrs. Branson, inquired.

Amy quickly shook her head. "Uh, no. I'm just....a little worn out." Amy replied, lamely.

Mrs. Branson gave Amy a beady eye. "Well, that's what having children will do to you." She sniped. "When teenagers have sex, they must deal with the consequences. Unfortunately, they still must pay attention in class." The 60-year-old-something woman, bony and taut, gave Amy a harsh look and returned to writing on the white board.

Amy sunk her head lower into her arms. She knew that people in the classroom were continually taking glances at her. She could hear the snickers and whispers. _Thanks, Mrs. Branson._ She thought, angrily. _It's people like you who just won't let the gossip die._ She wrinkled her nose and sent a few firery glares at the people around her. _She so should have retired already....back in the stone age._

----

Madison slowly rocked Kelly in her arms. She had just gotten Julia to sleep, when Kelly decided to awaken and start fussing. "Shh, baby. You're okay! Everything's fine!" Madison began to sing quietly, to her daughter as she softly assuaged her daughter's back. "Hush little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna by you a mocking bird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama's gonna buy you...." Her melodious voice trailed off, as she realized that her daughter had drifted to sleep. "Good girl." She murmured, as she softly padded into the nursery and placed Kelly in her bassinet. She softly pulled a cotton baby blanket over her daughter, to cover her from the winter chill. "I love you, dearest." She cooed, to the sleeping child. She stared longinly, a Kelly's tiny hands and tuffs of blonde hair. "You're already so much like your Father." A small tear slowly formed in her eye, she tried to blink it back, but it left her eye, and seemed to roll down her cheek in slow motion, before smacking onto Kelly's baby blanket, and being absorbed by the soft material. She placed a finger to her cheek, feeling the still warm trail of salty liquid, that was still fresh upon her face. She quickly fled the room, shutting the door behind her.

----

The final bell rang through Ephram's classroom and everyone, except for himself, jumped up in excitement. It was Friday and they had the entire weekend to do whatever. Unfortunately, Ephram had to be to work soon, which meant the long drive up to Denver. He sighed, as he heaved his backpack that might as well be filled with rocks, over his shoulder. _This is going to be a long day._ He thought, grimly.

"Ephram?" The Teacher, Mrs. Amarez, called out.

"Yes?" Ephram asked, as he turned to face his teacher.

"Is anything wrong? He seem very worn out." Mrs. Amarez asked, concerned.

Ephram smiled at his favorite Teacher. "No, it's just been a long week..." He paused, trying to decide if he should further her knowledge about his personal life; not that all of Everwood didn't already know he was a teen parent, to two daughters from two different women.

Mrs. Amarez arched her eyebrows. "Is there something else on your mind?"

Ephram frowned. "Uh, no.." He lied. His head was beginning to hurt, but he couldn't afford not going to work today.

Mrs. Amarez sighed and walked over to Ephram, giving him a reasurring pat on the shoulder. "You're a good young man, Ephram. You'll go far in life." She gave him a warming smile. "And although you're very talented, I know that rasing two infants at the same time must be physically and mentally exhausting."

Ephram merely nodded.

"Look, I usually don't do this, but in your case, I'll make an exception.."

Ephram's eyes widened, as he looked up, waiting for the woman to continue.

"The project I assigned today..I said it was due on Wednesday, but with everything you're going through..I feel that it's fair to extend the due date to Friday." Her eyes held an apologetic look. "Does that sound good to you?"

Ephram could feel his lips curve into a smile. "How can I thank you enough, Mrs. Amarez?" He asked, sincerely. "You have no idea how much two extra days means!"

Mrs. Amarez looked around, seeing that it was just herself and Ephram in the room. She pulled up a vacant chair and seated herself before the 17-year-old. "Actually...." She replied, quietly. "I do." She pulled a small laminated picture from her shirt pocket, next to her heart, and placed it face down in Ephram's palm. "Take a look at that, Ephram."

Ephram stared at the hard plastic for a moment, soaking in the warmth that it had absorbed from being in Mrs. Amarez's pocket, then he turned it to its reverse side. His eyes squinted, as he pulled the old photo closer to his face and then he let out a small gasp. "Is..is that you?" He questioned.

Mrs. Amarez nodded. "I, too, had a daughter when I was young; barely seventeen." Her lips curled into a small 'o' shape. "Her..her name was Gabrielle." Tears formed in her bright eyes, darkening them considerably. "Her Father left us, when he discovered I was pregnant, so I planned to raise her on my own. She was so perfect and I loved her with all my heart. But it was hard. I worked all the time to keep food on the table and clothes on our backs. I didn't have help from my parents of course; they wouldn't speak to me, after learning that I was determined to keep her." Her voice faltered, as a few streams of black mascara ran down her cheeks. "But she caught some type of flu, a few weeks before Christmas. I..uh, I took her to he hospital and they tried the best they could, for about a month.."

Ephram could feel his heart pouding, as he forced himself to become ready for what he thought was next.

"But she passed on, about a week before her first birthday." Mrs. Amarez's hands were trembling and she shut her eyes, to force back the tears.

Ephram placed the picture of Mrs. Amarez and Gabrielle on the table and wrapped his arms around his Teacher. "I'm so sorry." He cajoled.

Mrs. Amarez gave her caring student a light hug in return, then pulled away, and blotted her eyes with the sleeve of her dark shirt. "Thank you, Ephram."

Ephram shook his head.

"So I do understand what it's like." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Be careful, young man. Watch them and make sure they always know that you're there." She pulled the picture from the table and placed it back in her shirt pocket. "I should probably get back to work." He replied, as she tried to regain her composure. She snatched a few tissues from her desk, wiped her eyes and face, and then tossed the black tissues into the trash. "Ha-have a good weekend, Ephram."

Ephram nodded. "You too." He whispered, solemly. He turned and was about to walk out the door, when he heard her voice again.

"Ephram?"

"Yes?"

"Can you..well..keep..umm.."

"Don't worry, you're past is safe with me." Ephram replied.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you." Ephram replied, before leaving the room.

----20 Minutes Later----

Ephram burst through the front door, with a heavy heart and weighing mind. He noticed that everything was unusually quiet. "Hello?" He called, absentmindedly. "Amy? Madison?" He let his backpack slip to the floor, as he made his way down the small hall. "Hello?" He looked around, finding nobody. Then he thought he heard a soft moaning sound, coming from his ex's room. "Madison?" He asked, as he cross to her door and gently knocked his knuckles against the wood. "Madison, are you in there? Is something wrong?"

----

Madison heard the knocks, followed by Ephram's caring voice. _God, how I love his voice._ She thought. She slowly pulled her head from her pillow, wiped her wet eyes, and pulled her hands into fists to hide their shaking. She took a few deep, clearing breaths, then opened her mouth. "Yes?" She asked, aloud.

----

"Are you okay?" Ephram asked, with concern for the Mother of his eldest daughter.

----

"I'm fine." Madison replied, with as much of a calm tone as she could muster. "I was just trying to take a quick rest, during the unusual calm." She lied.

----

Ephram rubbed his temples. There was something hidden deep in her tone that told him that this wasn't true. "Are you sure?"

----

"Of course!" Madison snapped.

----

_That's it, she's not being honest with me!_ Ephram thought. He grabbed the handle, turning it tightly, then enter Madison's room. His eyes became huge as he saw his ex. _She looks like she just cried a river!_ He thought. "Oh my God, Madison! What's the matter with you?!" He rushed to her side, wrapped his arms tightly around her frail form, and embraced her tightly. "You look terrible!"

"Thank you." Madison replied as harshly and sarcastically as she could. But inside, she was melting at Ephram's embrace. She missed him so much. Memories of them together instantly flooded her mind, followed by the first time they slept together, ending with the last time they had slept together; Madison was sure that was the time that their daughter had been conceived. She let her hands roll out of the firsts and let her body relax, leaning into her ex and Father of her only child.

"What's wrong, Madison?" Ephram asked, again. He reached up, tucking a stray strand of slightly wet hair behind her ear, as he'd done so many times before.

"I.." Madison quickly stopped herself. "It's nothing, Ephram. Nothing is wrong with me."

"Don't give me that crap, Madison. I know you better than that and we both know it!"

Madison locked eyes with Ephram. _His eyes are so calming._ She thought, as she stared into them and felt a peace flow over her. "Ephram.." Tears brimmed in her eyes and her face moved closer to his. She dipped her fingers under his chin, gently tilting his head to hers, and she covered his lips with her own. She felt a sense of adrenaline rush through her, as their lips pushed together. She placed both hands on the sides of his face, feeling her heart beat with the same excitement she got whenever she was with him. Alas, she pulled away and began to search his eyes for something; anything. "Ephram?"


	14. Neverwood

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! Knowing that people read and want to read more, makes me so happy! colorado2: Well, you took this chapter better than I thought. No, you're not being insulting. Thanks for your imput. I'll try to have some more parental involvement. (It just didn't fit for my plans, in the recent chapters.)

**4.14 Neverwood**

----December 10, 2004----

Ephram felt his stomach churn with confusion and his mind seemed as clouded as thick pea soup. His body felt numb, except for his lips, which tingled. "Madison.." He murmured.

Madison brushed the tears away from her eyes, as she stared back into Ephram's emotionless eyes. "Nothing. You didn't feel anything, did you?" She asked, helplessly. She could feel her mouth becoming dry and a large lump forming in the throat.

Ephram's head slowly swayed from side to side.

"I still love you.." She whispered, as she buried her head in her hands.

Ephram could feel his heart ripping down the center. He gently stroked Madison's head. "I'm with Amy now. God, Madison! It seems like everything I do turns out wrong! I'm trying to make things work with you, Amy, Kelly, and Julia...But I can't be everything for everyone! I love you, but not romantically. You'll always have a special place in my heart, nobody can change that. You were my first girlfriend, the woman I lost my virginity to, the mother of my first child....But, that doesn't change the facts. I'm so sorry, Madison. But..."

"But you're with Amy, I know." Madison sobbed. She shook her head in disappointment; not because she couldn't have Ephram, but because of what she did. _I'm so stupid! I know he loves her! He's completely devoted to her!_ She thought. "I'm so sorry, Epham!"

"I love Amy with all my heart. I can't help it, but when I see her or when I'm around her, my heart beats a little harder, my pulse is a little faster, I can barely breathe, and my mind is sent in a spinning frenzy!" Ephram explained, as gently as possible. "She's my heart and soul! From the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew my life would never be the same. She's my one and only!"

"Is that true?"

Ephram and Madison's heads shot up, looking towards the doorway. "H-how long have you been standing there?"

Amy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorway. "Long enough." She took a few short strides, reaching the center of the room. Her eyes locked with Ephram's. "Are you sure that kiss meant nothing to you?"

Ephram's heart began to pound and he could feel the tiny hairs on the back of his neck prick up. "Y-you sa-saw that?" He stuttered.

Amy indicated that it was so, with a swift motion of her head.

"I'm so sorry, Amy! It was all my fault!" Madison said, as she rose to her feet.

"I'm talking to Ephram!" Amy snapped, viciously. She quickly silenced Madison, with a wave of her hand.

Ephram jumped to his feet. "Of course it didn't mean anything, Amy! You and I both know that! You're the only woman in the world for me; you make me whole!"

Amy's heart pounded madly. _How can he sit here and be so calm, after kissing her?!_ She wanted to scream, cry, puke, and retaliate all at the same time. _How could he do this to me? To...to us?_ Her eyes flooded with large, salt packed tears. Her eyelashes stuck to her skin, as the tears bubbled out of her eyes like bubbling liquid from an overflowing pot. She flew into Ephram, beating his chest with her fists. "How could you?! How dare you!" Her voice echoed through the room, making its way into the hall, and then bouncing sound waves through the entire apartment. "You bastard! I-I-I hate you!" Her body wracked with sobs, as she continued to flail her firsts, madly hitting Ephram.

Madison couldn't stand it any longer. _I have to go, I've caused so much damage already!_ She fled the room.

Neither Amy or Ephram noticed Madison slip away. Ephram was too fixed on making things right with his one true love. He stood there, taking every last hit that Amy had left. _I deserve this. I should've pulled away as soon as I felt Madison start to kiss me..But it was all so sudden..I just..._ He shook her head. _No! I brought this on by not putting a stop to it when it began!_ His mind spun with thoughts. The pain he knew he'd caused Amy was far more wrecking than the physical pain she was causing him now. He barely felt her hits and jabs; the physical pain was like a paper cut, but the mental pain was like deep gash that went right through his heart. Then all at once, he couldn't feel her hands beating at him anymore. He looked down and saw her body shaking. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her, protectively.

Amy's body wracked violently with sobs and then she felt Ephram's arms surround her and she wanted to fight back, to retaliate and hurt him like he had hurt her. But her physical strength was gone and she could no longer fight back, so she let him embrace her.

"I'm so sorry.." He whispered.

"H-how could you?" Amy asked, through sobs.

"I didn't mean to..It all happened so fast, Amy. Believe me, if I could go back and change it all, I would! I didn't realize she was going to kiss me and I know I should have pulled back...."

"Then why didn't you?!" Amy flared.

"I told you, it happened so fast!" Ephram defended. He held Amy tighter, refusing to give up that easily. There was a long, uneasy silence, filled only by heavy breathing and sobs, then he heard her speak again.

"Did..did you really mean what you said? A-ab-about me? Us?" Amy asked. Her eyes searched his, for the truth.

Ephram placed both hands on the sides of Amy's face, making her look him directly in the eyes. "Every last word!" He replied, sternly. "I love you, Amy Nicole Abbott! You are my world! I would move heaven and earth to be with you!"

"And you felt nothing when you felt her lips against yours?"

"Nothing! Not a thing!" Ephram burst out. He pulled her face to his and passionately connected his lips with the only woman that he ever truly loved. His eyes closed, as did Amy's, as they savored the powerful moment. As they pulled apart, Ephram caressed Amy's soft face with his fingers. "Never, would I ever love anyone but you! You're my soul mate, Amy!"


	15. Judging Amy

A/N: Well, I'm sorry it took a bit to get this chapter up, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to head into the next chapter. BytheBorg: Well, if you think my writing is "wannabe crap", then I suggest you don't read it. Because I refuse to remove my story from the site, just because you say so. Get over it. colorado2: Aw! I'm glad you liked the Amy & Ephram scene in the last chapter! :-D Mike Rules 2003: lol Well, I have some ideas.... ;) kursk: Yeah, she's slowly getting that into her head. It's still a lil' hard for her though, seeing as what she and Ephram have gone through. And yes, I plan to start the wedding planning/college planning and such, very soon.

**4.15 Judging Amy**

----December 10, 2004----

The sound of the front door slamming shut, echoed through the apartment, alerting Amy and Ephram that Madison was gone.

"Oh God!" Amy cried, as she pulled herself to her feet. "What have I done?"

----

A sonorus cry filled the nursery, as Julia screamed at the top of her very tiny lungs. Her face was beat red as as her parents burst through the door.

"Julia, baby, what's wrong?" Ephram soothed, as he picked up his youngest and rocked her soothingly.

Julia's crying seemed to calm, ever so slightly. Her tiny green eyes squinted, as huge tears dribbled down her scrunched cherry colored face.

"Shhh...shhh..." Ephram whispered, as he rubbed his daughter's back, gently.

Julia's arms stretched out, towards Kelly's empty bassinet and her howeling continued.

Ephram and Amy exchanged looks; both knowing what she wanted, even though it seemed almost impossible to the average mind.

"I have to get them back." Amy whispered, as she wiped her eyes.

"Amy.."

"No, Ephram, I have to! I caused them to leave, by acting so selfish! God! I can't believe I didn't realize that Madison still had feelings for you, a long time ago!" She raked her hand through her hair, in a frusterated way. "Damnit!"

Ephram plucked a pacifier from Julia's bed and placed it in her tiny mouth. He watched with relief, as she accepted it. "You don't even know where she is.." He whispered.

**_----Flashback----_**

_Madison slowly rolled Amy's wheelchair through the semi-quiet halls of the hospital. "This almost seems...."_

_"Too weird?" Amy asked, as she laced her hands together and leaned back into the wheelchair._

_"Yeah. I mean, my ex..your fiance.." Madison replied. "You're lucky, he's a good guy."_

_Amy grinned. "Yeah, I love him so much!" She closed her eyes._

_"So, do you have some special type of place with him, just the two of you?" Madison asked, absentmindedly._

_"Actually, we do...It's, well...a secret place for us. But I'll tell you that it's beautiful." Amy replied. She was of course talking about the place where they'd had a picnic, before Ephram left for the Julliard summer program. "What about you? I mean, did you guys have one?"_

_Madison shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah..We would go to the park and sit under this large tree. It was beautiful, just him and I."_

_"Sounds sweet."_

_"It was." Madison replied, shaking her head._

**_----Flashback----_**

"I'm sure I know exactly where she is." Amy replied. She walked over to her daughter and kissed her on the forehead. "Mommy's gonna make things right, sweetie. She's gonna get Kelly back for you." She blinked back the sting in her eyes and kissed Julia's forehead again. "I love you, baby." She turned her gaze to Ephram and kissed his cheek. "I'll be back soon."

"Wait, where are you going?" Ephram asked, as he began to follow Amy out of the room.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." Amy replied, as she pulled her coat out of the closet and slipped it on. _I hope._ She zipped the coat, grabbed the car keys from the hook, and left.

Ephram stared at the door, as it shut behind Amy. At that moment, he saw Julia's pacifier drop to the floor and then his ears were blasted with her crying scream.

----20 Minutes Later----

Amy got out of her car and shielded her eyes from the unwanted light, as she began to roam the grounds of the park, where she was sure that she would find Madison. _Please be here!_ She thought, as she sped up her pace. After a few minutes of aimless searching, she spotted a loan figure, under a large tree. _There you are!_ She took a deep breath and crossed the lawn, over to the tree. "M-Madison?" She stuttered.

Madison looked up, her face pale and tear stained. "How did you know to come here?"

"Remember that day in the hospital? You said that this was your and Ephram's special place." Amy replied.

Madison sighed, as she rocked Kelly in her arms. She had bundled the baby up in a few blankets, to keep away the chilly air.

"Can I sit down?" Amy asked, hesitantly.

"It's a free country." Madison replied, coldly.

"Thanks, I guess." Amy replied, as she seated herself on the cold grass under the tree. "I'm sorry."

Madison looked up, startled. "What?"

"I'm sorry." Amy repeated.

"Why?"

"I acted like a complete bi..." Her voice trailed off, as she eyed Kelly. "Witch. I was too naive to notice that you still had..have feelings for Ephram. Or else, I knew and was just in denial." She crossed her hands. "I'm really sorry for the way I acted."

"It's fine. You know, I should've never suggested the living together thing. It was stupid and we knew it would never work."

"No. On the contrary. It's been good. At least, for the girls. You know, after you left with Kelly, Julia wouldn't stop crying and reaching out to Kelly's bed. It's like...they already have a special, sisterly bond." Amy informed.

Madison stroked Kelly's blonde head. "Kelly wouldn't stop crying either, until she cried herself to sleep." She muttered.

"Madison, please come back. We want you back."

"I don't..."

"I want you back." Amy cut in.

"Amy, please! It's too much! I can't live with it, seeing Ephram every day and knowing that he's someone else's man!" Madison exclaimed.

"Please.." Amy pleaded, with sincerity in her eyes.

"What if I can't get over him?"

"Then you can leave. But won't you try, for just a little longer. If only for the girls?" Amy asked.

"Only a little while?"

Amy nodded.

Madison looked hesitant as she stared at Amy, mentally judging her, and then she finally nodded. "Fine, a little while. And only for the girls. But if I can't handle it, I'm going to have to leave. For good."

Amy nodded, sympathetically. "Thank you."

"I just hope this is the right choice."

Amy stood up, holding out a hand to Madison.

Madison reached out, grasping Amy's hand, and standing up too. The movement awoke Kelly, who started to cry bloody murder.

"We better get back, right away. I left Ephram with Julia."

A tiny smile slipped across Madison's lips. "Yeah, we'd better hurry." She wiped away a few stray tears with the cuff of her sleeve and then she followed Amy to the parking lot.

----20 Minutes Later----

The front door opened and Ephram stared anxiously, as his ears pounded.

Amy and Madion, carrying Kelly, walked in. Amy shut the door behind her.

"Madison!" Ephram breathed, with a sigh of relief. He crossed the room, to Madison's side. "I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry, Ephram. I sorry for everything that happened."

"It's ok." Ephram said, as he stole a glance at Amy who nodded in approval.

"Look!" Amy exclaimed, with a gleaming expression. None of them had noticed how fast the room had become serene.

Madison and Ephram looked down and large smiles crossed their faces.

Julia and Kelly had their tiny hands interlocked, between Ephram and Madison. They both looked calm and as happy as could be. The sight was perfection, at its best. One of which none of the young parents would ever forget.


	16. Fueling The Fire

A/N: Borg: "Silly **tastless** garbage. How likely do you think that this story really is? Try to ignore the fact that you wrote this filth and imagine that you happened upon it while sifting through the great mound of dross that FFN is. Would you enjoy it or even read past chapter one? I don't really think that you would, if you say you would then you are a liar of the first degree. There is a lamentable lack of honesty on the part of reviewers. Everything they read is wonderful, the best they have ever read, no one tells it like it is. This story is crap, pure and simple. You should have crap-canned it after you read over the first chapter that leaked out of your mind. Your **spellin** is lousy, your grammar laughable and don't try that old '...but this is the way I talk so this is the way I write' **arguement**. **Thats** fine if you are in grade 2 but no one really wants to read it. I think you were/are one of those unfortunate teens that were **over-praised** when growing up. You were told that everything you did was wonderful, your unlucky parents had to keep every piece of awful art, every award for participating, every report card. You want me to get over it? Then perhaps you should get over yourself and realize that you are a mediocre person with no talent for writing. Again I ask you to remove this filth from FFN and stop **embarassing** yourself on such a stage as this." Hmm, looks like a case of calling the kettle black, yes? Every word I've put into **bold**, is something from your "review," that you've misspelt. First of all, if you want to criticize someone's spelling and grammar, you'd better make sure you get your own spelling and grammar correct. Second, you apparently haven't read the rules. You aren't permitted to spam, like you've done 14 times on chapter 2 of my story. You also have to be respectful of the writers on this site, which you are clearly not doing. Constructive criticism is permitted, but this is outlandish! I usually have patience for childlike temper tantrums such as your own, unfortunately I cannot condone yours any longer. You are a pathetic excuse for a person and you clearly have way too much time on your hands. I am proud of what I have written, in fact, I read every chapter I write at least 4 times. If you want to call me a "liar," then fine. But since you don't know me, then you have no right to tell me what I like and what I do not like. I will not remove my story for you or anyone! As for knowing that reviewers are not honest, well, do you know **every** reviewer on ? I know that you don't know me and I also know that whenever I review, I am totally honest in reviewing. I review because I like a story and I encourage the writer to continue! So your claim is false, yet again. In regard to, "How likely do you think that this story really is?" Well, this is **fan fiction** for a reason! It most likely won't happen on the show, although I think it would be an interesting plot, which is why I write it. When you can prove to me, this includes factual evidence, that my story is not worth writing and people don't actually like it, then I may take your review more seriously next time. Until then, deal with the fact that you cannot always have your own way. auggy1984: Thank you for taking the time to write such a great review! I'm glad to know, that you've noticed the maturity in Amy's character. kursk: Yes, Madison will eventually be able to tolerate things. colorado2: lol I'm glad you're fairly pleased with this chapter. :) Cap'n Kiera Sparrow: Thanks for being such a loyal reviewer! The encouragement really helps!

**4.16 _Fueling The Fire_**

----December 24, 2004 (Christmas Eve)----

Ephram fastened Kelly's new diaper and tossed the dirty one into the trash. "Good as new, huh sweetie?" He cooed, as he tickled his eldest's tummy. He smiled, as he saw the glow on the infant's face. "God, I love you!" He leaned down and kissed his daughter on the head. Then he reached over to the edge of the bassinet and grabbed a tiny hanger, with a brand new Christmas dress that Madison's parents had mailed to Kelly, as an early gift. He plucked the crimson red, white lace trimmed, velvet dress from the hanger and slipped it over Kelly's head and carefully maneuvered her arms into the sleeves. After a few moments, he fixed the buttons on the back, then put tiny white socks trimmed in white lace, on Kelly's small feet.

Kelly giggled, wiggling her toes and fingers, and blinking her deep brown eyes.

Ephram laughed and slipped Kelly's tiny white dress shoes onto her feet. Not that she'd be walking in them. He plucked the small baby brush from the corner of the changing table, lightly combed it over Kelly's blonde hair, and then slipped a stretchy red ribbon baby headband, complete with a little red and white bow, around Kelly's head.

Kelly giggled again and tugged at Ephram's finger.

Ephram smiled and gently pulled his finger away, then pulled his eldest into his arms. "My, my. You look stunning, Ms. Brown." He noted, as he held her in front of the mirror.

Kelly tugged at tuffs of her Father's hair and made cooing noises. "You know, everyone is coming to our house this year, to celebrate Christmas, don't you?" He asked, as he rubbed his daughter's back.

Kelly stuck her thumb in her mouth and stared at her reflection.

Ephram laughed. "Yeah, I know. I don't know how thrilled I am about this either." He looked back at his own reflection, noting that he still had to get cleaned up and dressed.

The door swung open, as Madison walked in. "Hey, baby!" She plucked her daughter from Ephram's arms. "You look beautiful!" She kissed Kelly's forehead several times and then turned to Ephram. "Amy was wondering where you went."

"Just dressing Kelly."

Madison rolled her eyes. "Looks like living in a house with four females is getting to you."

"How so?" Ephram asked, not getting the joke.

Madison playfully smacked the back of Ephram's head. "You're always complaining about how long it takes for us to get ready and how you can do things, 'so much faster'.....Hypocrite."

Ephram frowned. "Oh please, it doesn't count. I was getting her ready and she's a girl."

"Whatever." Madison spun around and headed out of the room, with Ephram hot at her heels.

"I...." Ephram began, but Amy was quick to cut him off, as he entered the room.

"Eph! There you are! Look, I need to get ready, so I need you to get Julia ready." Amy said, as she handed her daughter to her fiance and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"But..."

"Here's her outfit and I'll be ready in a few minutes." Amy quickly added, as she hung a small hanger on Ephram's wrist and dashed off towards the bathroom.

Madison smirked at Ephram's disturbed look.

"Oh, so not the time!" Ephram frowned, as he narrowed his eyes at Madison, and then shuffled back into Kelly and Julia's room.

----4 Hours Later----

The ring of the doorbell echoed through the house, as Madison glanced at her watch. She could feel a knot in the pit of her stomach and a lump in her throat. _This is it, time to introduce the parents._ She thought, warily. Once her parents had contacted her, they immediately wanted to meet their new granddaughter. They had, however, been very against the living situations and clearly thought very little of Ephram. Her parents were never late, to anything, so she knew they were here, standing outside the door. She looked at Amy and Ephram, noting their sympathetic looks as they held the children; Amy holding Julia and Ephram holding Kelly.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Ephram asked. He was now dressed in nice, formal clothing.

"Ha....you don't know my parents, Ephram." Madison replied, quietly. She heard the doorbell ring again. "Well, here goes nothin'." She padded over to the door, her fancy red evening gown swishing behind her and her red heels making clicks as she walked. Her hand fell to the handle and she slowly turned it, while forcing a smile on her face. She opened the door, feeling a cold breeze snap at her exposed skin, and then she saw the semi-stone like faces of her parents. "Mom, Dad! It's so good to see you!" She motioned for them to come inside. "Come in!"

Mr. and Mrs. Kellner made their way inside, scanning the room as if it were dangerous.

Madison quickly shut the door and walked over to her parents, giving them each a quick hug. "It's been so long!"

Mrs. Kellner scowled. "Yes, well over nine months." Her voice seemed almost monotone.

"Well, you're the first ones here." Madison replied, with a shake to her tone. "Everyone else should be arriving soon...." She made her way over to Ephram and Amy, then scooped Kelly from Ephram's arms. "This is Ephram Brown, the man I told you about on the phone. He's Kelly's Father." Madison said, as she motioned to Ephram. "This is Amy Abbott, Ephram's fiance and that is Julia Brown, Amy and Ephram's daughter, as well as Kelly's little sister." She motioned to Julia and Amy, respectively. Then she took a few strides towards her parents and held out Kelly. "And this is your granddaughter, Kellner Brown, but we call her Kelly for short."

"It's nice that you introduce everyone before your own daughter." Mrs. Kellner snapped, as she glared at Ephram.

Mr. Kellner took Kelly from Madison and nestled her in his arms.

"Kellner, as a first name?" Mrs. Kellner repeated, as she examined her grandchild. "Why didn't you give her our last name?"

"Because she's Ephram's daughter. I felt she should carry his name." Madison replied, a bit defensively.

"But you're not married, correct?" Mrs. Kellner persisted.

"No, Mother, we're not."

"And..."

"We're not planning to be. Like I said, Amy is Ephram's fiance." Madison replied, with a stiff tone.

"She should carry out last name, if born out of wedlock." Mrs. Kellner replied, coldly.

"Well, she doesn't." Madison snapped back, earning a hard look from her Father.

"How long are you planning to live here?" Mrs. Kellner asked, her dark eyes staring holes into Madison.

"I don't know." Madison replied, returning the look.

Mr. Kellner swiftly stepped between his wife and daughter, as if to stifle the accumulating tension. "She's a beautiful child, Madison."

Madison's features softened, ever so slightly. "Thank you, Dad."

Mr. Kellner nodded, gently wiggling his finger from the child's grasp. He held out his strong, rough hand to Ephram. "I'm Robert Kellner."

Ephram shook the man's hand. "It's good to meet you, Mr. Kellner."

Robert turned to Amy. "And you, Ms. Abbott."

Amy lightly shook Mr. Kellner's hand. "Please to meet you, Sir."

Robert nodded and turned his attention back to Madison. "I think your Mother and I would like to see the rest of your home, now."

Madison accepted. "Uh, of course. J-just follow me." She said, slightly surprised. She motioned for her parents to follow her, as she led them down the hall and they all disappeared into Madison's room.

Ephram turned to Amy, with a grim look on his face. "This is not going to go over well."

Amy frowned, as she switched Julia to her other arm. "No, not at all. If we live through letting all of our parents meet, I might need to go back on the 'happy pills'." She replied, only half joking about antidepressants.

Ephram frowned. "Definitely not funny." He leaned in, kissing her lips. "Not funny."

Amy nodded, soaking up Ephram's love. "I love you."

"I love you too." Ephram smiled and took Julia from Amy. "I love you too, Miss Julia." He kissed his youngest's forehead and gently rocked her in his arms. "Is everything ready to go?"

Amy nodded, thoughtfully. "Yep. The punch, cookies, cakes, pies.....Madison and I are exhausted from cooking."

"And you're sure that your Mom is going to bring the ham?" Ephram asked.

"Positive."

"Great, then we're good to go." Ephram glanced back at the hallway. "Well, as good as it can get."

"Right." Amy nodded. Her attention was turned to the door, as she heard a soft knocking. "I think my parents are here."

"Lord help us all." Ephram said replied, looking at the ceiling.

Amy bit her lip and moved to the door, opening it and meeting her parents. "Mom! Dad!" She pulled them inside and shut the door.

Rose enveloped her daughter in a tight hug. "Merry Christmas, sweetie!" She glanced back at her husband, who was trying to balance a hug foil covered plate in his hands.

"Smells good, Mom." Amy commented. "This way, Dad." She laughed, heartily. She led her Father over to the table and let him relieve himself of the monstrous plate of ham. Then she gave him a huge hug.

"Well, Amy, everything smells good." Harold replied, as his eyes swept across the room. "Where's everyone else?"

"Not here yet."

Harold snorted. "People these days, they can never be on time." He whipped the invitation from his pocket. "It did say seven o' clock, yes?"

"Yes, Dad." Amy replied, as she snatched the invitation away from him. "Actually, Madison's parents got here a little while ago."

Harold's eyes raised. Did he just hear that correctly? Someone was more prompt than him? "Well, that's just rude! You should never arrive more than five minutes early!" His brow furrowed in annoyance.

Rose patted her husband's shoulder. "Dear, why don't you get the gifts from the car?"

Harold wrinkled his nose. "Yes, yes. The gifts. Why not?" He swiftly exited the front door.

Amy and Ephram exchanged looks, both knowing this would be a night that they would never forget.

Minutes later, Delia burst through the front door without so much as a knock or ring. "Hi Ephram!" She exclaimed, as she trotted over to her older brother and plucked her niece from his arms. "Hi Julia!" She cooed, as she lightly tickled the baby's chin with her finger.

Julia cooed and cuddled further into her Aunt's arms.

"Where's Dr. Brown?" Amy asked, curiously.

"Dad's carrying in the gifts." Delia replied. He should be in about...." Her eyes traveled to the clock on the wall, as the hand painfully made its way around the clock. "Nnnnnnow." She pointed her index finger towards the door.

Andy came lumbering in, slowly teetering back and forth with a load of gifts in his arms.

"Andy, you look like you could use some help." Rose offered, as she pulled two boxes away from Andy's head.

"Thanks, Rose." Andy managed to say, before fumbling over to the Christmas tree and depositing the remaining gifts.

"Your welcome." Rose replied, as she crossed the room to the Christmas tree and placed the two boxes.

"Wow, look at all those gifts!" Amy breathed. "You guys have outdone yourselves!"

Harold waddled into the room, with his arms also filled with gifts.

"Dad! Oh, you guys didn't have to!" Amy said, as she gathered a few boxes from her Dad's arms and set them under the now overflowing Christmas tree.

Harold put down the remaining boxes. "Well, our granddaughter is a special little girl. She deserves the very best!" He looked around. "Where is she, anyhow?"

"Delia has her. Would you like me to go get her, Mr. Abbott? She's in the girls' room." Ephram asked.

Harold shook his head. "Oh no, I can wait." He took a seat in a vacant chair.

Rose eyed her husband. "Is...well, are will still expecting.."

"Yes." Harold replied.

"What are you talking about?" Amy asked, suspiciously.

Rose laughed nervously. "I was just asking if Irv and Edna were still planning on coming."

Amy's eyes narrowed. "Right..Well, are they?"

"Of course!" Harold jumped in, seeming more enthusiastic than he had just moments earlier.

"A huh.." Amy said, pointing a finger at her Father. "I know you're hiding something and believe me, I will find out what it is." She spun to face Ephram. "Watch him, he's got something up his pressed white sleeve. Meanwhile, I'm going to go check on your sister and Julia." She headed into the next room.

Andy took a seat next to Harold. "Well, hello there, Dr. Abbott."

"Dr. Brown." Harold replied, looking away as if he didn't know that Andy was right next to him.

"How are you?"

"Is that a trick question?" Harold asked. "After all, you're here." He quipped.

"Well, here's not doubt that you knew I'd be here, so may I deduce that you came here to enjoy the quaint conversation that we're currently having?" Andy inquired.

Harold snorted. "You must learn to get over yourself, Dr. Brown."

Andy patted his cohort on the back. "Oh Harold, I do enjoy our little chats." He stood up and stalked away.

Harold rolled his eyes. "Brain surgeons, they think they know so much."

----1 Hour Later----

Ever person was tightly crowded around the small table, for the Christmas dinner.

"This is a really good ham, Mrs. Abbott." Delia said, trying to break the uneasy silence that had settled.

"Thank you, Delia." Rose replied, as she endured heated looks from Madison's parents.

Nina, who had arrived later in the evening with Sam, smiled uneasily. "So, Mr. and Mrs. Kellner, did you have a good flight?"

"It was fine." Mrs. Kellner hissed, as she lightly picked at her food with her fork.

Nina nodded. _Okay then, strike one._ She thought, with an inward sigh.

The sound of the doorbell shot through the house.

Delia jumped up from her seat. "I'll get it!"

"Delia!" Andy scolded.

Delia, ignoring her Father, crossed to the door and opened it. Her lips curved upward, in a smile as she saw a very handsome and much older person at the door. "Hi, Bright!" She said, trying to keep the giggle from her tone.

"Bright?" Amy asked, curiously. She stood up and her mouth fell into an 'o' shape, as she saw her older brother at the door. "Bright!" She flew into his arms, hugging her brother tightly. She'd never been so happy to him.

"Well, that was unexpected." Bright said, as he scooted inside and pulled his sister away from him. "It's good to see you too, sis. Where's the fire?"

Amy raised her eyebrows, showing him that it wasn't the time to explain.

"Right." Bright muttered. He turned to Delia and ruffled her brown hair. "Hey, kid! How's it hangin'?"

Delia shrugged her shoulders. "Pretty good. You Mom made some kiss ass ham and we were just eating."

"Delia!" Andy scolded again, from the table. "What did I tell you about using that word?"

"What?" Delia asked, offended. "It was a compliment!"

Rose looked at Andy and shook her head. "Really, Andy. It was a compliment."

Andy frowned, making a mental note to talk to Delia about it later.

"Bright, why don't you come have a seat?" Madison asked, as she pulled up a new chair.

"Ya sure? It looks a bit crowded." Bright asked, warily.

"I'm positive." Madison replied.

Bright shrugged and took the seat that Madison had pulled out for him.

"Umm, everyone. This is my future brother-in-law, Bright Abbott." Ephram introduced.

Bright instantly caught the glares from Madison's parents. "Is there a problem?" He asked, not realizing who the people were.

Mrs. Kellner threw up her hands in disgust. "Yes!" She flamed. "All of this is a, 'problem'!" Her eyes blaze with irritation. "Madison shouldn't be here! She should be married, living with her husband and child!" She emphasized the words, 'married' and 'husband'. She snatched Robert's hand. "Come on, we're leaving. But don't think this is the end of this! You're all unfit parents and if we have to, we will fight for custody of our granddaughter!" She pulled Robert from the table and left the house, letting the front door slam behind her.


	17. A Mother's Love

A/N: This chapter is probably going to seem like I'm going off the "Madison's Parents in a rage" story line, but I am going somewhere with this. So to all my loyal readers and reviewers, thanks for reading/reviewing and I hope you'll all enjoy. kursk: Well, we're gonna get to that. ;) You'll just have to wait and see how this plays out. Divagurl277: "So that just goes to show you that you shouldn't sweat what idiots like that have to say." Wise advice! Also, thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you loved the chapter. :) Cap'n Keira Sparrow: lol But it's Everwood! They might as well call, "Dramawood". Thanks for reviewing! Borg: Well, if your previous review had not been riddled with errors, then I would not have had to make such an extensive correction. On a side note, if you continue to make racist comments, I will begin to delete your reviews on my story. Chrios: "and don't mind the flamer, unless he tries threats or something. some people on this site are just plain rude. and he named himself after a heartless being from a tv show, what does that say?" lol Oh Chrios, you always seem to review when I'm not in the greatest of moods, and yet you always manage to put a smile on my face! Dude, you rock! Thanks. :) As far as Madison's Mom being Irish, well, I never really thought about it. lol Hmm, my Grandmother's half Irish and she has a really bad temper too.....Yeah, Robert is more accepting, and you'll most likely see that later on too. LucyBethFan1: Thanks for taking the moment to review! It's really sweet of you to say that I'm one of your favorite authors. I feel so honored! Nathaniel: I feel exactly the same way! I hate people who can't control their personal opinions, when they can potentially be very hurtful to others. I have nothing against helpful tips/constructive criticism, but these reviews he/she has left, are wrong and extrememly childish/immature. I think I'll consider reporting him/her to the site. Especially after his/her racist comment, about Asians! To end on a happy note, thank you for your encouraging review and I'm glad to know I have another thoughtful reader!

**4.17 _A Mother's Love_**

----December 24, 2004 (Christmas Eve)----

Rose angrily tossed her fork to the plate and stood up. "It's people like that who really tick me off!" She had previously considered using 'stronger language', but since there were children at the table, she decided against it. She eyed the men in the room. "What are you all looking at?" She flicked her wrist. "Go, go! Give Madison some space." She walked over the beautiful blonde and wrapped her arms around the sobbing young woman.

"Uh..Yeah, everyone, come on!" Ephram said, as he motioned to the hallway. "I think we should go.." He scooped up seats that Kelly and Julia were strapped in and carried them down the hall to his and Amy's room.

Everyone exited the room, leaving Rose and Madison alone.

Rose pulled a chair from the now vacant table and sat down, cupping Madison's hands in her own.

Madison looked into Rose's eyes. "Oh, Mrs. Abbott...I knew this was a bad idea!"

Rose gently squeezed Madison's hands. "Shh...It's ok. Nothing is going to happen to you or your daughter."

"But you don't know my parents! It's like...they won't stop at something, until they get what they're after! My Mother hates me for getting pregnant so young, especially be a sixteen-year-old!" Madison sobbed. "I-I don't want her to take my daughter away!"

"She won't!" Rose assured her. "You're a wonderful parent, Madison! Anyone who can't see that is looking at the situation with their eyes closed." She gently assuaged Madison's back. "It's ok, don't cry.." She wrapped her arms tightly around the young woman and held her close.

Madison trembled in Rose's arms, feeling something that she'd forgotten so long ago; a Mother's love.

**_----Flashback----_**

_"And I wanna have kids in a big house with a white picket fence and a husband to treats me like a princess!" A 5-year-old Madison exclaimed, as she sat tucked in her bed, with a 'Cinderella' story pulled tightly to her chest._

_Mrs. Kellner seated herself next to her daughter, on the bed. "Oh honey, you'll have all those things and you'll make your Father and I so proud!" She reached down, wrapping her arms around her daughter and pulling her into a deep, loving hug._

**_----Flashback----_**

Madison let out another series of sobs, as images of the Mother she used to know, flooded her mind.

----9:00 P.M.----

Nina exchanged hugs with Amy, Ephram, and Madison. "Merry Christmas!" She waved.

"Bye Amy! Bye Madison!" Delia called, as she waved to her nieces' Mothers. She bent down to her nieces' carriers and kissed each one on the head, before jumping to her feet. "Sam, I'll race you too your Mom's car!" She dashed out the door.

"No fair!" Sam wailed, as he jetted after her.

Nina laughed. "Looks like we should go now, before those two wreck havoc on everything." She eyed Madison. "You take care, Madison." She pulled a small pen and tissue from her purse, scribbled something down, and handed it to Madison. "You can call me, if you ever need someone to talk to." She whispered into Madison's ear.

"Thanks, Nina." Madison replied, with sincerity in her voice. "It means a lot."

Nina gave Madison another hug and then grabbed Andy by the shoulder. "Say good-bye, Andy."

"Bye! Take care now." Andy replied, waving to his son and granddaughters. He turned, sending a warm smile to Nina. "Let's go."

Nina could feel a warm rush, sweep over her. She seemed to stare at his smile, for the longest moment.

"Nina? You okay?" Andy asked, concerned.

Nina shook her head, pulling herself out of the daze. "Yeah, fine." She smiled, warmly. "Yeah, let's go." She pulled her hand back and stepped into the cold air, closing her eyes and returning to reality.

Andy shook his head, confused by the lapses she sometimes had. He wish he knew what caused them. "Bye." He repeated, before leaving the house. He walked next to Nina, not saying a word, until they neared their parked cars. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes." Nina replied, with a laugh. "What's with the sudden curiosity?"

Andy shrugged. "Just making sure."

"Well, thanks." Nina said. She looked around, noticing Sam and Delia playing tag, on the lawn. "Sam! It's time to go!"

Within minutes, Sam had reached his Mom, and was hiding behind her.

Delia had disappeared between some cars.

"Come on, lets go!" Sam urged, as he grabbed at his Mom's coat pocket.

"Sam!" Nina slapped Sam's hand away. "Be polite!"

Sam guiltily looked at the ground, becoming very interested in his shoes. "Bye Dr. Brown." He mumbled.

"Goodbye, Sam." Andy replied, cheerfully. He patted Sam's shoulder. "And Merry Christmas!"

"Yeah, you too." Sam mumbled, as he kicked the ground with his shoe.

Delia burst out from behind a park car and slapped Sam on the back. "You're it!"

"No fair!" Sam protested. He grabbed from Delia.

Delia spun out of Sam's grasp and stuck her tongue out. "Times!"

"Na uh!" Sam yelled.

"Yep, it's totally in the rules!" Delia replied, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Delia!" Andy scolded. "Apologize to Sam for sticking out your tongue, that was very rude!"

Delia's face soured. "Sorry.." She muttered, under her breath.

Andy shook his head. "I'm sorry, Nina."

"They're just tired." Nina soothed. "We really should be going." She unlocked her car doors and let Sam in.

"Bye Nina! Merry Christmas!" Delia yelled, as she got inside her Father's car.

"You too, Delia!" Nina waved, then shut her car door and drove off.

Andy got inside, shutting his door and then placed the key in the ignition. He paused, staring as Nina's car drove away.

"Something wrong?" Delia asked. She stared at her Father and tugged at his sleeve, when there was no reply.

"Huh?"

"Something wrong?"

"Uh, no. No...Just tired. Long day, you know?" Andy lied, as he started the car.

"A huh." Delia replied, suspiciously. She buckled her seat belt and made sure that her Father had on a seat belt too.

Andy shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and drove away.

----

Rose tightly hugged Madison. "It'll be ok." She whispered.

"Thanks, Mrs. Abbott." Madison whispered, absorbing the moment. Then she pulled away, feeling slightly more hopeful.

"Goodnight!" Rose said, as she and Harold left.

Bright turned to Ephram. "Dude, I gotta go. But hey, I'll be over tomorrow, 'cause I left some presents at the folks' house."

"Sounds great, Bright." Ephram replied, sharing a quick hug with his friend.

"See ya all later!"

"Bye Bright!" Amy called, as she waved to her older brother.

"By, sis." Bright shut the front door behind him.

Amy, Madison, and Ephram all exchanged looks. "Wow!" They all breathed, at the same moment.

"Today has been so crazy." Madison replied.

"I think I'm just gonna crash." Amy replied.

Ephram smiled. "Go ahead. I'll put the girls to bed."

"Are you sure?" Amy and Madison asked, in unison.

"Positive. Now shoo!" Ephram waved his hand at the hallway.

Amy leaned in, gently pressing her lips to Ephram's and giving him a passionate kiss. "You're the best!"

"I love you too." Ephram replied, before placing his hands on her shoulders and turning to face the hallway. He gave her a playful pat on the butt. "Go."

"Oh.." Amy straightened her back. "Okay, okay.." She winked at her fiance and headed down the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Ephram asked, turning to his ex.

"Yeah, but thanks for asking." Madison replied, awkwardly.

Ephram wrapped his arms around Madison, giving her a hug that only a friend could give. "Get some sleep, don't worry, I got the girls."

Madison yawned. "Thanks Eph, you're a lifesaver."

Ephram tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Go.."

Madison yawned again and headed down the hallway.

After making sure that both doors were closed, Ephram yawned himself. He knelt down next to his daughters' carriers and smiled at the tired girls. "Time for bed, isn't it?" He stood up, grabbing each carrier, and lumbered into his daughters' room.

----45 Minutes Later----

Ephram looked down at his sleeping offspring, smiling contentedly to himself. "I love you both." He whispered, then he walked to the door and turned off the light, leaving a soft pink glow from the night light. He then pulled the door almost shut, leaving it open about an inch, and headed down the hallway to his and Amy's room. He opened the door, to find the light on, but Amy was crashed out on the bed. He kicked off his shoes and nice outfit and changed into a pair of cotton pj's. He climbed into bed, wrapping his arm around Amy, and flicked off the light with a free hand. He softly kissed his fiance's cheek and then laid his head next to her neck.

Amy snuggled closer to Ephram, not even realizing it, because she was still sleeping.

"I love you." Ephram whispered, then he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**_----Dream----_**

_Ephram was handsomely dressed, sitting in front of the Christmas tree, in his apartment. He looked around, seemingly confused. Then he heard footsteps behind him and he stood up, turning around, and his eyes filled with tears._

_A beautiful brunette stood before Ephram. Her chestnut eyes glittering with love and care. She was wearing a long, flowing pale yellow dress, and she looked at gorgeous has he'd remembered._

_"M-Mom?" Ephram stuttered._

_Julia Brown smiled at her son. "Hello, Ephram." She replied, her voice sounding like a melody._

_Ephram wiped the tears from his eyes. "B-but how?" He asked, his voice cracking._

_"Shh.." Julia replied, as she embraced her son. Her caring arms wrapped around him, as if to never let him go._

_Ephram locked his arms around his long lost Mother. "I missed you so much!" He cried._

_"I missed you too." Julia said, as she rubbed her son's back. "You've gone through so much...so fast..I'm so sorry I couldn't have been there."_

_Ephram said nothing, he just closed his eyes and soaked in his Mother's love._

_"I can't stay long, Ephram."_

_"What?" Ephram choked, as he gazed into his Mother's brown eyes._

_"I can't stay long." Julia repeated, as she gently pulled away._

_"No, please! You can't go now, I just got you back!" Ephram pleaded._

_Julia shook her head, sorrowfully. "I'm so sorry Ephram.."_

_"Please?" Ephram begged, as tears formed in his eyes._

_"I came to warn you.." Julia replied, as her form began to waver._

_Ephram reached out to his Mother, but she seemed just out of reach. "W-warn me? What?"_

_"Check the baby, Ephram." Julia said, as she faded into a see-through type state._

_"What?" Ephram asked, confused._

_"Check the baby, Ephram." Julia repeated, as her see-through state started to dissipate into nothingness._

_"I don't understand!" Ephram cried._

_"She doesn't sound right." Julia replied, as her body completely faded away._

_"Who?" Ephram asked, looking at the empty space where his Mother had been._

_"Julia doesn't sound right." Julia's voice floated through the air._

**_----Dream----_**

Ephram's eyes flash open and he placed his hand to his cheek and felt wet blotches and his heart was pounding.

A voice, barely even a whisper, floated into Ephram's ears. "Check the baby, Ephram."

Ephram jumped out of bed, out of his room, down the hall, and burst into his daughters' room. He flicked on the light and ran to Julia's bassinet. His eyes nearly bulged from his head, when he saw that his youngest daughter's face was a pale blue color. "Julia!" He screamed, as he grabbed her from the bassinet. "Oh my God! Amy! Madison!"

Within moments, Amy and Madison were in the room. "What?! What's wrong?!"

Ephram's breath was ragged and his eyes were huge. "Call an ambulance, Julia isn't breathing!"


	18. Doctor, Doctor

A/N: Sorry everyone. I meant to update yesterday, but I hadn't finished the very end of this chapter. Chrios: Well, it's a very nice trait. :) And yeah, I know you can erase the signed ones. Sure, I'll let you know. lol I think there is an e-mail that you can report abusers to. Borg: What a good point, but then again, I probably shouldn't take advice from people who make racially discriminating comments either. These are still your sole opinions, none of which I will take into consideration. (P.S. If this is your "hobby," you really need to get a life.) MG: lol Love the "bloody" line. Thanks for taking the time to review! kursk: Awesome! Thanks for reviewing! Do you happen to be a Nina & Andy fan, by any chance? I am and I'm glad that the show finally took a hint and gave Nina a little crush on Andy (too bad he's completely clueless about it). augy1984: :) I felt it was very fitting for Rose and I wanted to include Julia, but that's a little difficult. So when I thought of the dream, chapter 17 just sort of fell into place. I'm glad you enjoyed it! LucyBethFan1: The "all caps" makes me feel great. I'm really happy that you decided to review again. ;) colorado2: Oh, I know! I really think that Julia should be in the show more often, after all, she was the reason that they moved to Everwood! More flashbacks or something would be nice!

**4.18 _Doctor, Doctor_**

----December 24, 2004 (Christmas Eve)----

Sirens blared, as cherry and blueberry lights flashed in a blinding fashion. The Paramedic had Julia in the in the ambulance and he'd asked that Amy and Ephram wait at the porch, momentarily.

Amy sobbed into Ephram's shoulder.

Ephram was half holding his breath and gently running his hands through Amy's hair. His heart was thudding and he didn't know how much longer he could hold it all together. His eyes hurt, but he refused to take them away from the blinking red and blue lights. Not until he could see his baby girl.

A Paramedic made his way onto the porch and gave a sorrowful look to Ephram.

"Wh-what's going on?" Ephram asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I'm sorry Mr. Brown, but..."

Amy spun around, as crocodile tears sped down her cheeks. "Don't you dare say it! Don't even think it! My daughter...she's-she's..."

"No, Miss. She's not.." The Paramedic replied, staying calm. "But she's not awake and we need to keep her on oxygen. Her lungs failed her...If you had found her just minutes later, she'd probably be gone."

Ephram felt a large knot form in the pit of his stomach. _Julia would have died if I hadn't gotten to her...._ He mind was spinning, as his dream replayed in his mind. "Mom."

Amy looked into Ephram's eyes. "What?"

Ephram shook his head. _I'll tell her later._ He thought. "Can we go with her to the hospital?"

"Of course." The Paramedic replied. "This way, we have to hurry."

Amy and Ephram began to follow the Paramedic to the ambulance.

"Ephram!" Madison called.

Ephram turned around. "Please call my Dad and Amy's parents."

Madison nodded, sympathetically.

Ephram turned back and helped his fiance into the ambulance, then climbed in himself.

The Paramedic shut the door.

Madison covered her arms with her hands, as she watched the ambulance drive away. Then she ran inside, hearing the crying of her daughter. "It'll be okay, sweetie. Julia's gonna be fine." Madison cajoled, as she picked Kelly from her carrier and grabbed the cordless phone, pressing Speed Dial 2. She placed the phone to her ear and listened to it ring, until she heard Andy's voice on the other end.

----

"Hello?" Andy asked, sleepily.

----

"Dr. Brown?" Madison asked, her voice wavering.

----

"Madison? What are you doing up so late?" Andy paused. "And why are you calling so late?"

----

"It's Julia.." Madison replied.

----

Andy felt a small knot form in his stomach. "J-Julia? What's wrong?!"

----

"Ephram found her and she wasn't breathing. I don't know the specifics, but he wanted me to call you and Amy's parents. They're taking her to the Denver hospital." Madison replied.

----

"We'll meet you there. And don't worry about calling Harold and Rose, I'll do that." Andy replied. Before Madison could say another word, he hung up and dialed Harold's number.

----

The line went dead and Madison clicked the 'off' button. She headed into the girls' room, put a coat on Kelly, and grabbed the diaper bag. She walked into the main room, grabbed her coat from the coat rack and her keys from the key ring, then she headed out the front door.

----

"Just meet us at the Denver hospital, it concerns Julia!" Andy replied, urgently.

----

"Andy, what's going on?" Harold demanded, panic rising in his voice. _What could be wrong with my granddaughter?!_

----

"I don't know, just get Rose and hurry!" Andy yelled into the phone and then hung it up. He headed grabbed his and Delia's coats from the closet and headed down the hall to Delia's room.

----

Harold hung up the dead line. His heart was racing, as he sprinted to his room and flicked on the bright light, instantly waking his wife.

"Harold!" Rose snapped, as she shielded her eyes from the invading light.

"Get up, get dressed, and hurry!" Harold replied, as he slipped on a decent pair of pants, a shirt, and shoes.

"What's the meaning of this?" Rose cried out, angrily.

"Julia's in the hospital! I don't know what's going on, but Andy just called! So hurry!"

"Oh my God!" Rose gasped. She slid out of the bed and hurriedly threw on the clothes that she'd been wearing earlier that day. "Go get Bright! I'll get the car started!" She grabbed her purse from her night stand, containing her keys and her cell phone, then she dashed out the bedroom door.

Harold, at Rose's heels, left the room too. But instead of following his wife, he headed towards his son's old room.

----

Amy held a ragged looking tissue to her face, as she sat trembling in the waiting room. "Wh-what if she-she.."

Ephram pulled Amy close. "Shh...shh.." He soothed. He didn't want to hear that his daughter could die and he especially didn't want his true love to think it. _But what if she's right?_

----2 Hours Later----

"Are you sure that there is no news?" Ephram asked, as he stared at the woman behind the desk.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Brown, but I'm positive!"

Ephram sighed and padded back to his seat. He wrapped his arms around Amy once again and held her.

"Do you guys need anything?" Madison asked, sincerely. "I could get you some coffee or..."

"Coffee would be great, Madison." Ephram cut in, with a tired look.

"Sure thing." Madison weakly smiled, as she switched Kelly to her other hip.

"Madison, if you want to leave Kelly here..." Andy began.

"Oh, Dr. Brown.."

"Really." Andy repeated.

"If you're sure." Madison replied, as she carefully placed the extremely sleepy baby into Andy's arms. "I'll be right back." She kissed Kelly's forehead and headed off down a hall. Her eyes slowly traveled from corner to corner, processing everything. She shook her head, feeling a strange tickle crawl up her spine. She turned the corner, eyeing a coffee machine in the distance. _Looks like somebody is all ready there._ She sighed. _At least it's only one person._ She made her way over to the coffee machine and patiently stood behind the man. _He seems to be having trouble._ She thought, as she noticed the poor man's hands tremble. She started to open her mouth, when the man turned around. All the color drained from her face, as a gasp escaped her lips. "Wh-what are you doing here?"


	19. Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Julia All Th...

A/N: Wow, thank you all for reviewing! kursk: Yep, he'll be explaining the dream in this chapter. muse-of-the-fairies: lol 'Cause they are so fun! (To write, not read!) Chrios: lol See, look at that, you've gone and made me laugh again. You rock! Thanks for being so awesome!

**4.19 _Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Julia All The Way_**

----December 25, 2004 (Christmas)----

"D-Dad?" Madison stuttered.

"Madison?" Robert jumped. Blistering hot coffee spurted from the cup and sprayed onto his trembling hand. He let out a small howl of pain.

Madison quickly used the sleeve of her shirt to blot the burning liquid from her Father's hand, then she took the cup from him. "What are you doing here?" She asked, as she led him to vacant seats and sat down.

Robert shook his head. "Maddy..."

"Please, Dad.."

"It's your Mother..She was driving and..and.." He wiped some tears from his eyes. "She was just so angry, she wasn't paying attention to the road. She pulled out to take a turn and didn't even notice the car. It smacked right into the driver's side."

"Oh my God!" Madison gasped, as her heart began to race. "Where is she? Is she okay?!"

"I can take you to her. She wasn't hurt as much as she could have been, because the driver wasn't going 'that' fast. She has a broken wrist though and she won't be able to leave the hospital for a few days." Robert explained.

"Take me too her." Madison replied, without second thought. She stood up, then helped her Father to his feet.

Robert steadied himself against his daughter. "This way.."

----

"Parents of Julia Brown?" A Doctor asked, as he walked into the waiting room.

Amy and Ephram jumped to their feet. "Yes?"

"You daughter is currently in stable condition."

Amy placed a hand to her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.

"But, that could change at any moment. She's very weak. After reviewing her records, I've found that she was born prematurely. Extremely premature, in fact." He paused to examine the faces of his patient's parents. "She shouldn't have been taken out of the hospital so early. Even with the positive signs she was show, we should have kept her for at least a few more months, in case something like this were to happen. Which is why I'm ordering that your daughter stay at the hospital for at least a month."

"But.." Amy breathed.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Brown."

"Abbott. Ms. Abbott." Harold replied, with a glare to the doctor.

"Ms. Abbott." The Doctor corrected. "But she has to stay."

"When can we see her?" Amy asked.

"Now, if you'd like." The Doctor looked at the rest of the family. "Only the immediate family, I'm sorry."

Rose walked over to her daughter and gave her a reassuring hug. "Just go."

"Thanks, Mom." Amy whispered.

"I must warn you, it's not a pretty sight. She's hooked up to many wires, machines, tubes, ect..."

"We want to see our daughter." Ephram replied, sternly.

"Very well.." The Doctor replied.

"Wait." Andy said, standing up with Kelly still in his arms. "What's your name?"

"Lenz." The Doctor replied. "Kennith Lenz."

Ephram wrapped his hand tightly around Amy's. "Please, take us to our daughter."

Doctor Lenz nodded and waved his arm in the right direction, then started out of the waiting room, with Amy and Ephram not far behind.

----

Madison and Robert stopped at the door to room 1025. Madison placed her hand around the door knob and took a deep breath, then gently turned it, until the door creaked open.

"R-Robert?" A muffled voice whispered, from inside the dimly lit room.

"No, Mom, it's me....Madison." Madison replied, as she pulled up a chair and seated herself next to the bed.

"Mad-dison?" Mrs. Kellner stirred.

"Yeah." Madison replied, as she cupped her Mother's frail hand in her own.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why d-did you come?" Mrs. Kellner asked.

"Because Dad told me you were hurt.." Madison replied, holding back her emotions.

"He called you?"

"I was all ready at the hospital." Madison replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible." Mrs. Kellner paused, examining her daughter's pained face, through her slightly blurred vision. "Why were you h-here?"

Madison winced, remembering why she'd come to the hospital in the first place. "Ephram and Amy's daughter. She-she stopped breathing in he middle of the night."

"Kelly's sister?" Mrs. Kellner asked.

Surprised by her Mother's choice of words, Madison only seemed to nod.

"Madison, I-I..I am so sorry!" Mrs. Kellner breathed, as she gently squeezed her daughter's hand with as much strength as she could muster.

"What?" Madison asked, confusion began to cloud her face.

"I'm sorry, Maddy." Mrs. Kellner repeated. "I was wrong..So wrong." Droplets of hot, salty liquid dribbled down her pale and slightly bruised face. "I can see that Ephram is a good person, but...this just wasn't how things were supposed to turn out for you! You had dreams, Maddy! You wanted things and this wasn't how things were supposed to happen!"

"But they did, Mom. They did happen this way!" Madison replied, as her voice began to crack. "And you know what, I wouldn't change a thing, if I could do it all over again! I love my daughter!"

"She's beautiful."

"And she needs her Grandma." Madison replied.

"I'm sorry."

"I know." Madison replied. She leaned in, giving her Mother a gentle hug.

"I want to meet with them.."

"What?"

"I want to meet with them." Mrs. Kellner repeated.

"Who?" Madison asked, perplexed.

"Them." Mrs. Kellner replied. "Ephram's family and...and his fiance's too."

"Why?" Madison asked, still confused.

"To make things right." Mrs. Kellner replied, sincerely.

Robert, from the door, let a warm smile spread across his lips.

----

"Oh my God!" Amy gasped, as she entered a small room. Her eyes traveled to the incubator that Julia was in. Just as Doctor Lenz had said, the baby was hooked up to many wires and machines.

Ephram clutched Amy, giving her support. "Breathe." He whispered, as he gently ran a hand through her hair.

"Julia.." Amy whispered, as she walked over to the incubator and placed a hand on what separated herself from her child.

"When will we know more?" Ephram asked.

"When will we know when she's going to be okay?" Amy asked, without taking her eyes off of her daughter.

"When the remaining tests come in." Doctor Lenz replied.

"And that will be?" Ephram asked.

"Most likely, later today."

"Good." Ephram replied. He looked at his tiny daughter. _She's so helpless._ He thought. He felt a warm brushing feeling, sweep across the back of his neck and he looked around, but nobody was there. He looked at Amy, who was a few feet away, and couldn't have touched him. He shook his head, ignoring the feeling. Then he felt another wave of warmth.

"She's going to be fine.." A faint whisper said, into Ephram's ear.

"What?" Ephram asked, aloud.

"Ephram, are you okay?" Amy asked, noticing Ephram's discomfort.

"What did you just say?"

"I was asking if you were okay."

"Before that."

"Ephram...Nobody said anything, before that." Amy replied, with a worried look.

"You did well, Ephram. I'm proud of you." Another faint whisper said, into Ephram's other ear. This time the voice was clearer.

"Mom." Ephram whispered, as he scanned the room, but didn't see his Mother.

"What are you talking about, Ephram?" Amy asked, confused.

Ephram shook his head. "When we have some time with everyone else, I need to tell you all something."

"Ephram, you're scaring me." Amy replied.

"Don't be, it's something good." Ephram assured.

Doctor Lenz, who had been busy making notes and not hearing the conversation, turned back to the couple. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave now. You may return later today, but as of now, it's very late."

Amy and Ephram turned to the incubator. "We love you, Julia. Merry Christmas, baby."

Doctor Lenz ushered the couple out of the room, letting the door shut and lock behind them.

----

Madison made her way back to the waiting room, balancing two cups of hot coffee in her hands. She wasn't sure of what to make of things. _What does she have in mind?_ She thought, as the Abbotts and Browns came into view; she noticed that Amy and Ephram were not among the group. She crossed the room. "Where are Ephram and Amy?"

"Madison, oh good, you're okay." Rose said. She took the hot coffees from Madison's hands. "Take a seat." She looked down the hall that Doctor Lenz had taken her daughter and soon to be son-in-law down. "The Doctor came, with news. He took Ephram and Amy to see Julia."

"What kind of news?" Madison asked, as she watched Kelly sleep in Andy's arms.

"Julia has to stay in the hospital for at least a month." Andy replied.

"Oh my God! Will she be okay?"

"They don't know yet." Andy replied, with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

Rose, noticing faint dry lines on Madison's cheeks, raised her eyebrows. "Madison, is something wrong? You look as though you've been crying."

Madison bit her lip, not sure how to say what she need to say. "Yes, actually, something's come up."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, concerned.

"When I was going to get the coffee, I ran into my Father."

Andy's expression changed from slightly bitter to a mix of concern. "Why? How?"

"My Mother's in the hospital." She paused, looking at the shocked faces around her. "She was so worked up after she left, she apparently didn't seem a car coming when she made a turn, and it hit her in the side. She's not seriously injured, but she does have a broken wrist along with cuts and bruises."

"Oh my lord!" Rose exclaimed. "Is she okay?" Despite her current dislike for Mrs. Kellner's behavior, she was still a caring person, and knew how much family meant.

"I talked to her and she's in pain, but she'll be out of the hospital in a few days....With a cast."

"Thank goodness." Rose replied. She studied Madison's face. "But something's still not right."

"She..uh..she wants to meet with you."

"What?"

"She wants to meet with you. All of you." Madison replied.

"All of us?" Andy asked.

Madison nodded. "You, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Abbott."

"Are you sure?" Harold was, with skepticism.

"She was very adamant about it." Madison replied.

"What are we talking about?" Ephram asked, as he walked up with Amy.

"Who's very adamant about what?" Amy asked, perplexed.

Madison turned to her roommates and sucked in a deep breath, before beginning to explain the series of events that lead up until that moment, for the second time today.

----10 Minutes Later----

After a fair amount of deep discussion, it was agreed that Madison would visit her Mother later today and let her know that the Abbotts and Browns had accepted her request to meet with them. There was a small lapse, where nobody said a word.

Harold, deciding to break the silence, turned to Ephram. "Ephram, I've been meaning to ask you something...."

Ephram looked up. "Yes, Mr. Abbott?"

"How did you find out about Julia?"

A murmur spread across the group, as everyone laid their eyes on Ephram.

"I've been meaning to tell you this.." Ephram replied. He bit his lip, not knowing how to say this. "It sounds crazy, but it was a dream.."

"A dream?" Andy cut in.

"Let him finish!" Rose scolded. She gave an approving nod, to Ephram.

"Yes, a dream. I was waiting in the living room, all dressed up, and then...and then..." His voice began to crack. "Mom appeared."

Andy's eyes became wide.

"We hugged and she told me that she was proud of me, but she couldn't stay very long. I pleaded with her, but she left anyway. But before she completely left, she told me, 'Check the baby, Ephram.' I was so confused and I asked her what she meant, but she only repeated herself and said, 'She doesn't sound right.' I asked who she was talking about and she told me that Julia didn't sound right, then she left and I woke up. But I swear I heard her whisper, 'Check the baby, Ephram.' Without second thought, I ran to the girls' room and there she was, with a pale blue face.." Ephram said, as tears dribbled down his face.

"'Mom.'" Amy replied.

"What?" Rose asked.

"No, not you. 'Mom.' That's what you meant then you were saying, 'Mom.'" Amy said, as she locked eyes with her lover.

**_----Flashback----_**

_A Paramedic made his way onto the porch and gave a sorrowful look to Ephram._

_"Wh-what's going on?" Ephram asked, trying to keep his voice steady._

_"I'm sorry Mr. Brown, but..."_

_Amy spun around, as crocodile tears sped down her cheeks. "Don't you dare say it! Don't even think it! My daughter...she's-she's..."_

_"No, Miss. She's not.." The Paramedic replied, staying calm. "But she's not awake and we need to keep her on oxygen. Her lungs failed her...If you had found her just minutes later, she'd probably be gone."_

**_----Flashback----_**

"The Paramedic said that if Ephram had found her just a few minutes later, she would've d-died.." Amy said, choking at the last word.

"She always did say that she'd always look out for the family." Andy said.

Ephram looked at his Father, a bit surprised by the comment. "You believe me?"

"Of course I believe you, Ephram. Your Mother would do anything to protect anything that was dear to you or your sister." Andy replied.

Rose smiled warmly at the teenager. "We all believe you." She nudged Harold, who nodded as well.

Ephram looked up at the ceiling. "Thank you, Mom." He felt another warm feel wash over him.

"Merry Christmas, son." A soft, faint voice whispered into Ephram's ear.

----December 27, 2004----

Rose, Andy, and Harold stood before room 1025.

"Are you really sure we should be doing this?" Harold asked. "After what happened at dinner."

"Yes." Rose assured her husband. "We have to try and work things out, for the children's' sake."

"I hope you're right." Andy added, as Rose opened the door.

Rose stepped inside, looking around the dim room. "Hello? Mrs. Kellner?"

Robert walked out from behind the curtain, that went around the bed. "She's in the restroom, she'll be out in a minute."

Rose gave her best smile and held out her hand, shaking Robert's.

"Thank you for coming." Robert said.

"No, thank you. It means a great deal to us, that everything be worked out." Rose replied.

Mrs. Kellner emerged from the restroom, wearing dark blue jeans and a gray sweater. She walked over to the group and held out her healthy hand, shaking each person's hand. "Thank you all for coming and I'm very sorry to hear about Julia, I hope she's well soon."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kellner."

"Please, call me May." May motioned to a few vacant chairs. "Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss."

Rose took a seat, along with her husband and Andy.

"First of all, I'd like to apologize for my behavior at dinner, the other night." May began, with a sorrowful expression.

"I should hope so." Harold replied, in a cold manner.

"Harold!" Rose snapped, furiously.

"No, no. I deserve that." May defended. "I'm so ashamed of my actions! I was just so angry, which isn't a good excuse at all. I didn't want this for Maddy. She was so bright and full of hope and then this happened....It shouldn't have."

"But it did." Harold replied.

"Yes, that's what Maddy said." May brushed away a forming tear. "I want to support her. She's my daughter. As I've found out, anger doesn't get you anywhere, except for maybe in the hospital." She held up her wrist, covered in a cast. "When I was in that crash, all I could think about was Maddy and the baby, which I thought I would never see again. I was so terrified! When the doctor told me that I would be all right, I knew I had to make things right. I don't want to live the rest of my life, blocking my daughter out of it....Even if what she did, isn't how I wanted things to be for her." She looked at the somber faces, waiting for a reply.

"This isn't how we wanted things to turn out either." Andy spoke up. "I had dreams for Ephram, too. I thought he was going to be a musical prodigy. He's so gifted and he's had such a hard life....He didn't deserve any of this. At least, that was what I thought. I tried to hide his mistakes from him, but that was wrong. It only created more problems. But all of these things, they 'mistakes', were actually blessings in disguise! I'm not proud of how I handled things, but I do love my granddaughters, and I can't imagine life without them."

"Andy's right. I never wanted this for Amy either, but it's what happened. I wanted her to go to some amazing college, where she could eventually get whatever her heart desired. But things just didn't happen that way, no matter how much I wished them to. But now that I've held Julia in my arms, I couldn't imagine my world without her. Although I don't approve of how they're living, I don't believe they'd make the same mistake again. They're trying to make the best of what they have and for that, I admire all three of them. I-I trust them to make the right choices, although they technically aren't adults yet, they all ready are." Harold spoke, calmly.

May blinked back drops of salty liquid. "I want to be in Maddy and Kelly's lives. I want things to be okay between everyone." She gave a nervous laugh. "There isn't anything like a brush with death, to set your mind straight, is there?"

Andy, who had definitely had his own experiences with death, nodded in silent agreement.

"We have a proposition." Robert spoke up.

Harold's eyebrows rose. "A proposition?"

"Yes." Robert took a seat next to his wife. "We want to merge the families."

"What?" Rose, Harold, and Andy asked in unison.

"It doesn't seem right to have such a large separation, especially if the kids are going to be living together." May explained.

"Do you mean, acting like one, huge family?" Andy asked.

"Yes." May answered. "I can understand if you don't approve of this, but hear us out first. We all want to be in the lives of our grandchild, and children and the sisters will be raised together. So it seems silly if they're separated by their grandparents, on their Mothers' sides."

"Do you mean you want to accept Julia into your family and you want us to accept Kelly into ours?" Harold asked, slowly catching on.

"Yes."

Harold and Rose exchanged looks.

Harold opened his mouth. "But that's...."

"A brilliant idea!" Rose finished, as she stood up. "I think it's a marvelous idea! Don't you all think so? It would make family get togethers much easier and the girls would be treated equal, no matter how you look at it!"

"I don't know.." Harold said, with a hesitant tone.

"Harold, please! Give this a chance. They're trying to come up with a good solution to everything and I agree with them." Rose said.

Harold let out a sigh. "I suppose I could go along with this." He said.

May smiled. "Oh, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

Rose stood up, walking over to the woman who was clearly struggling with a million emotions, and held out her hand.

May, with a bit of a confused expression, shook Rose's hand.

"Welcome to the family." Rose replied, with complete sincerity.

"Thank you." May choked, as her tired eyes overflowed with tears. _I'm finally making things right._

----

Amy and Ephram stood in front of the incubator, containing their daughter, with their arms wrapped around one another for support. Both were anxiously awaiting the news from Doctor Lenz, about their daughter's test results.

The door swung open and Doctor Lenz walked in. "Mr. Brown, Ms. Abbott." He noted, as he flipped through the pages on his clip board.

"Well?" Amy asked, impatiently. She clung tighter to the love of her life.

Doctor Lenz adjusted his glasses and looked directly at the couple. "It appears there won't be any long term effects on your daughter, if we perform the correct treatments on her, over the next few weeks. However, I still insist that she be kept here for at least a month, for observation."

"Thank God!" Amy breathed, as she turned back to her daughter and placed her hands on the outside of the incubator. "You're going to be all right, baby girl. You're gonna be all right!"


	20. The Abbott And Brown Show

A/N: Wow! Did everyone see "Everwood" last night?! It was absolutely THE BEST episode that I've ever seen! Amy and Ephram were so perfect! The humor was great too! Some of my personal favorites were the "camping joke", the snoring conversation, the moment that Harold realized Amy & Ephram slept in the cabin, line about "God punishing them Harold & Rose with Bright"! I wasn't digging the Amanda and Andy thing, though. (I'm an Andy & Nina fan!) But other than that, wow! I LOVED it! colorado2: I totally respect your honesty. Thank you for presenting you opinions in a considerate manner, it means a lot! I'm sorry that the last chapter wasn't your favorite, but hopefully you'll enjoy the upcoming chapters (and hopefully the "series finale") better. kursk: Yep, that's coming right up! lol (The story skips quite a bit ahead in this chapter, to get things moving.) mike: Hey, thanks for taking the time to submit a review! Cap'n Keira Sparrow: I don't really think I will do another season. I'm sorry. But I do have a really happy/sweet "series finale" in store! (I may or may not do other "Everwood" fanfics though. I haven't decided yet.) muse-of-the-fairies: Oh, I see how it is....Someone does one lil' ol' cliffhanger and they can never live it down! LOL Thanks for the review! auggy1984: :) Thanks for reviewing and sticking with this story! BTW, this chapter title is a play on, "The Abbott And Costello Show". (Not sure if I spelt "Costello" right, though.) I know this chapter isn't the greatest, plus it is a short one, but I've got plans for the next chapter and this plays into that.

**4.20 _The Abbott And Brown Show_**

----May 5, 2005----

Amy, balancing Julia in one arm and two large grocery bags in the other, shuffled her way up to the front door. She kicked the door with the toe of her shoe, making a clapping noise. "Ephram!" She moved her arm, straining to see what time it was. _Great, five-thirty! I'm sure to be late for dinner with my parents._ She thought, with a moan. _Dad's gonna be so upset!_ She wrinkled her nose, kicking the door again. "Ephram Brown, get your butt over here to open this door for your daughter and I!" Her arms left like jello right now. "Eph...." To her surprise, the door swung open. "Oh, thank goodness!" She stumbled inside.

"Whoa!" Ephram cried, as she stopped Amy in her tracks. He plucked his baby girl from Amy's grasp and kissed her affectionately on the forehead. "Did someone have fun with Mommy?" He asked, as he shut the door.

Julia cooed and twiddled her tiny fingers.

Amy glared at her daughter's Father. "Oh, so she gets a kiss, but I don't?"

Ephram rolled his eyes and planted a soft kiss on Amy's lips. "Tough day?"

"It was." Amy replied, returning the kiss. "Then I saw you...."

Ephram grinned. "Well..."

"And it just got a little tougher." Amy cut in.

"Hey!"

"Ephram zero, Amy one billion and one." Amy grinned, with a wink.

"Actually, I have one, remember?" Ephram replied, referring to the time when Amy was still pregnant.

Amy rolled her eyes and plopped down on a chair. "Wow...What a day." She waved her hand at the two bags that she'd carried in. "You can put those away, honey."

"Ha ha." Ephram replied, sarcastically. He walked over to Amy and seated himself beside her, while rocking his daughter in his arms. "What's up?"

"What?"

"What's up?"

"Eph, what are you talking about?" Amy asked, confused.

Ephram shrugged. "Everything's been going so fast lately...I just want to take a moment to find out what's going on with you."

Amy twisted a strand of her hair. "I don't even know anymore." She let out a heavy sigh. "Everything just sort of meshes together." She glanced lovingly at her daughter. "I'm just so happy that everything is ok now. Julia is doing good, again."

Ephram nodded. "You know, she's six months old today."

"How could I ever forget?" Amy asked, rhetorically. She stroked her index finger across Julia's cheek. "You were a tough one, Miss Julia."

Julia let out another coo.

"But you sure are worth it." Amy leaned over, giving her daughter a soft kiss on the top of her brunette head. A silence hung in the air.

After a few minutes, the front door burst open and Madison strolled in with Kelly and a handful of mail. "Hey guys!" She greeted, cheerfully. Her cheeks were bright and there was a smile upon her face.

Amy stared curiously at her roommate. "What's with all the happy?"

Madison smiled. "Well, I met this guy today.."

"Cute?" Amy inquired.

Ephram nudged Amy in side.

Amy returned the gesture. "I meant from her point of view."

Madison nodded. "Well, Amy, I was sort of wondering if you could baby-sit Kelly for tonight?"

"What time?"

"Seven to nine, at the latest."

Amy nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Oh, thank you so much!"

Ephram raised an eyebrow. "Is there more?"

"Actually...." Madison replied, as she set Kelly into her carrier. "There is." She shuffled a few envelopes in her fingers and then walked over to the couple. "These came for the two of you, I just got them out of the mail as I was coming in." She handed them two large packages.

Amy and Ephram's eyes lit up. "Oh my God!"

Amy, who had her hands free, snatched up the packages. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been waiting for these to come for the longest time!"

"Hurry, open them!" Ephram urged.

Amy tore open the tape that sealed the back of the first package and pulled out the letter, then placed it face down on the chair.

"What are you doing?" Ephram asked, visibly puzzled.

"We're going to announce things together." Amy replied, sternly.

Amy ripped open the second package and pulled out the letter, keeping it face down in her hands. She handed the first letter Ephram and closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath. "Madison, will you count down from three, four us?"

"Of course." Madison replied. "Three...two..one!"

Amy and Ephram flipped over their letters and their eyes hungrily read the finely printed letters, then each turned to each other, with their eyes blazing. "We're in! You're in?! You're in! We're in!"

"Congratulations!" Madison announced. She gently took Julia from Ephram, so that the couple could give each other a hug.

Amy and Ephram wrapped their arms tightly around one another.

"You're going to Julliard!" Amy exclaimed, with joy.

"You're going to NYU!" Ephram said, at the same moment.


	21. To Have And To Harold

A/N: You know, it's sad when we have to start deleting discriminating and inconsiderate reviews. kursk: You've waited so long for this event, so I'm dedicating this chapter to you! Chrios: Well, once you do see it, I'm sure that you'll absolutely love it! colorado2: LOL That line was awesome! Sorry for the late update. As with my other story, I had planned to update on Thanksgiving, but my parakeet passed away and I hadn't really been online since then.

**4.21 _To Have And To Harold_**

----June 15, 2005 (Graduation Day)----

"Amy Abbott!" The Principle called, as he held up a small roll of paper.

Amy made her way onto the stage, smiling broadly. She graciously took the paper and held up it up proudly, as the crowd of graduating students cheered wildly, then she made her way off the stage over to Clara Abara, who had been the first to get her diploma.

"Congratulations." Clara said, as she shook Amy's hand.

"Thank you." Amy smiled.

"You're really something, Amy. I mean, a baby and school...wow!"

Amy blushed. "Well, I couldn't have done it without my family and everyone else in my life. I can't take all the credit."

"Well, you're inspiring just the same." Clara nodded, as Sharlene Abrams joined her and Amy.

"Congrats Clara, Amy." Sharlene greeted.

"Congratulations yourself." Amy said.

Sharlene exchanged hugs with Amy and Clara.

"Daniel Arson!" The Principle called, then watched a young man begin to ascend the stage.

Amy clasped her hands together. _This is so exciting!_ She thought, as she anxiously waited for Ephram's name to be called. "Congrats Danny!" She called, as Daniel approached the small group.

"Thanks, Amy! I guess your English help back in elementary school really paid off, 'eh?" Daniel said, with a winning grin.

Amy rolled her eyes, as she gave Daniel a hug. "Hey, anything for a friend, right?"

Daniel nodded. "You sure are a tough one, Ames."

A few more people began to join the steadily forming group, breaking off into smaller groups, and forming other conversations.

Before Amy could respond to Daniel, the Principle was talking again. "Richard Bernamere!"

"They're in the 'B' names Andy!" Nina squealed with excitement. "Ephram's not far away!" She lightly rocked Julia in her arms. "Aren't you the excited one, Miss Julia?" She asked, as she tickled the palm of Julia's small hand.

Julia let out a coo and wiggled her fingers, twisting them into Nina's long blonde hair.

Andy laughed at his grandchild. "I think it's safe to say that she really likes you. You know, Nina, you'd make a great grandmother." He placed his arm around Nina's shoulders.

Nina blushed. "Well, not that I want to yet.." She replied, as she felt a tingle run up her spine, when she felt Andy's arm around her shoulders. "Sam's only eight."

"Have they called his name yet?" Madison asked, as she made her way over to the row of chairs where Ephram and Amy's families were seated. She held Kelly in her arms.

"No, but it looks like he'll be called any moment. They're already in the 'br' names!" Delia exclaimed, as she pulled her coat out of the chair that Madison had been sitting in earlier, before Kelly needed a diaper change. "They just called 'Brose'!"

Madison seated herself between Delia and Nina.

"I think he's next! I think he's next!" Delia said, as she waved her hand wildly at the stage. "Shh!"

Andy and Nina exchanged amused looks, then directed their attention at the stage.

The Principle picked up the next diploma and looked ahead. "Ephram Brown!"

Ephram crossed the stage, over to the school Principle, and proudly accepted his diploma. _Here it is!_ He thought, as he held up his prize and heard the crowd give him a round of applause. "Thank you!" He told his Principle.

"It was a pleasure having you here, Mr. Brown." The Principle said, quietly.

Ephram made his way off the stage, over to Amy and the rest of the people who had gone before him.

Amy threw her arms around the lover of her life, showering his face with kisses. "I'm so proud of you!"

"And I, you!" Ephram laughed, as he pulled away from his beautiful fiance and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey man, congrats!" Paul Blitheman said, as he gave Ephram a reassuring pat on the back.

"You too, Paul!" Ephram said, as he exchanged a handshake with Paul.

----1 Hour Later----

"And lastly, I'd just like to say....Good luck in the years ahead, class of two-thousand-four to two-thousand-five!" Lana Kiko, the valedictorian, announced as she finished her speech.

The entire 2004-2005 class cheered, as well as the audience, and then all of their graduation hats went flying into the air.

Amy and Ephram pressed their lips together, sharing a moment in the middle of all the excitement. They had made it through high school and now they were about to step into the real world; there were so many new challenges ahead, but they knew that they were going to face them head on!

----July 4, 2005----

Amy stood in front of a full mirror. A soft yellow glow, from the lamp, illuminated the room. She ran a hand across her soft, white satin dress, that billowed out from the waist on down. The ends of the dress just barely hung above the ground and were trimmed in frilly, white lace. The top of the dress hung just right; not too low, but it did show just enough of Amy's bare neck, which was perfect for a necklace to hang. The top of the dress went down to Amy's waist, meeting the skirt at a 'v' type waist. The sleeves were long and went all the way down to her wrists, then there was a slip of fabric formed into a 'v' shape and extended to the middle finger on each of Amy's hands. _The dress is so beautiful!_ She thought, as she did a little spin in front of the mirror. The dress had been Rose's, when she was married to Harold. Since Rose had only been 19-years-old when she and Harold were married, because not only did she know Harold was 'the one', but she was also pregnant with Bright, the dress had been perfect for Amy; it had not needed any adjusting. Rose had given it to her as her, 'something old'.

"You look beautiful, dear!" Rose's voice floated through the room.

Amy spun around, rushing into her Mother's arms. "Oh Mom!"

Rose wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter. She wore a slightly professional looking baby blue skirt and matching long sleeved jacket, with a white blouse under the jacket. Her heels had been colored to match her suit and she wore simple pearl earrings.

"I'm so nervous!" Amy said, as she buried her head into her Mother's shoulder.

"I know, I know." Rose whispered, as she gently rubbed her daughter's back. "I was too, when I married your Father. Just be thankful that you aren't pregnant at the same time." Rose said, with a light tone. "You'll be fine."

Amy lead her Mother over to a couple of chairs and sat down. "Do you really believe that?"

"Of course!" Rose replied. "Once everything is said and done, you'll think that you're the happiest woman alive."

Amy chuckled. "'Mrs. Amy Brown'." Amy said, trying to get a feel for her upcoming title. "I'm really going to be married! I'm going to be Ephram's wife....A wife, Mom! A wife! Can you believe it?"

Rose shook her head. "Nope." Rose said. "I'll always think of you as my baby." Rose said, as she blinked back a few joyful tears.

Amy hugged her Mother again. "I will always be your baby, Mom." Then a light knocking filled her ears.

"Yes?" Rose asked, as she looked at the closed door.

----

"Amy? Mrs. Abbott?" Madison asked, from the other side of the door. She held a medium sized box in one hand. She was beautifully dressed in a knee length peach colored dress, that had a little flowing skirt at the bottom. The dressed wasn't too tight or too loose, but rather perfect fitting. They were short sleeves, that flowed over Madison's shoulders and she wore colored heels to match the dress. "It's Madison!"

----

"Come in!" Amy called.

----

Madison opened the door and stepped in, shutting the door behind her. "Wow, Amy, you look amazing!"

Amy blushed. "Thank you."

"I really love the dress." Madison complimented.

"Thanks. It was my Mom's."

"You have really nice taste, Mrs. Abbott."

"Well, thank you, Madison. That's very sweet of you." Rose replied, cheerfully.

"I have the shoes." Madison said, as she pulled the top off the box in her hands and pulled out a pair of satin white heels, covered with a layer of fine white lace.

"They're beautiful!" Amy gushed, as she stared at the heels. "How can I ever thank you for letting me use them as my, 'something borrowed'?"

Madison shook her head and handed the shoes to her roommate. "Don't worry about it. Just have a good time, okay?"

"Thank you so much, Madison!" Amy exclaimed, as she slipped Madison's shoes onto her feet. Then she stood up, with the dress just a little bit higher above the ground.

"I feel like a princess." Amy said, with a roll of her eyes. "Wow, that sounds so corny."

Madison laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you look like one too."

"Thanks." Amy's eyes glanced Madison up and down. "You look really nice too."

Madison shrugged. "Well, you were the one who picked out the bridesmaids' dresses. Which, by the way, are really pretty as well. I love this peach color! I think Delia does too."

"Where is Delia?" Amy asked, suddenly thinking about her fiance's little sister.

"Oh, she should be here...." Madison's voice was cut off by a loud series of knocks on the door.

"Right now." All three women finished, in unison.

"Come in, Delia!" Amy called.

The door swung open and the 12-year-old skipped inside. "Whoa! Amy, you look so cool!" Delia exclaimed, as she pushed the door shut, behind her.

"Thank you so much, Delia!" Amy said, as she seated herself. She twitched her fingers at her soon to be sister-in-law. "You look really nice too."

Delia spun around, showing off her dress; it was exactly like Madison's, but made to fit a 12-year-old. Delia, however, wore a pair of dainty white shoes with little heels, instead of colored high heels. "Thanks, Amy!" She proudly held up a small, white purse and pulled out a little red box. "Open it." She said, as she handed the box to Amy.

Amy carefully flipped open the red box and a smile quickly spread across her lips. "Oh, Delia! This is so sweet of you!"

"I want you to keep it." Delia said.

"Are you sure?" Amy asked. She pulled a small silver clip, encrusted with little sapphires, from the box.

"One-hundred percent." Delia answered, sincerely.

"It's beautiful, Delia. Where ever did you get it?" Rose asked.

"I saved up my allowance and then Dad helped me with the rest." Delia stated, proudly.

"Delia, you didn't have to." Amy said, as she admired the gift.

"But I wanted to!" Delia exclaimed. She walked over to an opened box, containing Amy's veil. She picked it up, walked over to the woman that would be her sister-in-law in a matter of hours, and took the clip. She attached the clip to the veil. "Can I put it in your hair?"

Amy exchanged looks with her Mother and Madison, then she nodded. "Of course."

Delia happily walked behind Amy and carefully clipped the veil in Amy's hair, with the clip that she had worked so hard to get. Then she brushed her hands together. "Now you've got, 'something blue'! And you look so pretty!"

Amy gave Delia a hug. "You're going to be a great sister-in-law!"

"So are you." Delia said, as she hugged Amy.

Another knock swept through the room and all four ladies turned their heads towards the door. "Yes?"

----

"Amy? Is it okay if I come in?" Harold asked.

----

Amy and Rose exchanged looks.

"I think we should probably go make sure everything is going smoothly downstairs." Madison whispered. "After all, the guys do have the kids."

"Good idea." Rose agreed.

Delia, understanding that Amy needed time along with her Dad, nodded in agreement. "Bye Amy, see you in a while."

"Bye Delia." Amy said. She stood up, getting one last hug from her Mother, as unmarried woman. "See you guys in a while."

"Good luck." Madison replied.

"Thanks."

Rose opened the door, smiling at her husband. "Hello dear." She leaned in, giving him a quick kiss. "You're right on time, we were just leaving."

"I see.." Harold replied in a skeptical tone, as his eyebrow raised.

"We'll see you in a while." Rose stated, as she moved past her husband, followed by Delia and Madison. Then she and the two younger ladies disappeared down the hall.

Harold walked into the room, shutting the door. His crisp black tux and perfectly polished black shoes made him look all the more professional. "Well, look at you." Harold stated, as he admired his daughter. "You've gone all out today, haven't you?"

Amy laughed. "Dad, it's my wedding day."

Harold nodded. "Yes, I know." He took a seat next to Amy. "And if I wasn't witnessing it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it."

"Come on.." Amy giggled.

Harold wrapped an arm around his daughter. "I just can't believe that my baby girl is all grown up."

"Neither can I." Amy sighed. "It doesn't feel like I am, though."

Harold pulled his only daughter into a hug. "I brought you something."

"Hmm?" Amy mumbled, curiously, as her Father released her.

Harold pulled a small, blue velvet box from his pocket. He opened it up and pulled out a dainty, silver necklace.

"A heart shaped necklace?" Amy asked, as she stared at the beautiful item.

"Actually, it's a locket." Harold replied, as he let the chain fall over his hand, so he was holding the heart shaped locket between his fingers.

"Dad, you..."

"I wanted to, Amy." Harold replied. "Besides, you needed 'something new', anyway." He held out the locket to Amy. "Look.." He opened the locket and inside was a tiny picture of a 5-year-old Amy, in her Father's arms.

"Oh my gosh!" Amy gasped. "I remember that day! It was taken just minutes before my first day of Kindergarten!"

Harold smiled, as the same memory played in his mind too. "Yes. It was taken just minutes before the terror began."

Amy playfully slapped her Father's arm. "Dad!"

"Well, it's true. Once you began school, you really started to 'grow up'. There was that boy that you kept talking about, as soon as your Mother and I picked you up...M-M..."

"Mark Hoppkins." Amy finished.

"Yes, that was it." Harold said, with a frown.

"I'll never forget how you went to school with me the next day and gave him that huge explanation about how boys and girls aren't supposed to play together in Kindergarten. You scared the livin' daylights out of him."

Harold grinned in satisfaction.

"He wouldn't even look at me, for the rest of the year." Amy said, as her mind wandered back to her Kindergarten days.

"I'm glad you got a good one." Harold said. "It unfortunate that he has to have such an irritable Father."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Oh, you know you love Mr. Brown's company."

"Yes, just as much as I love it when insecure adolescents toilet paper the trees on Halloween." Harold's infamous sarcasm hung on every word.

Amy gathered her hair up and pulled it away from the back of her neck. "Will you do the honors, please?" She asked, ignoring her Father's previous comment.

Harold draped the locket around Amy's neck and clipped it, behind her.

Amy let down her hair and smoothed it out, then she adjusted the locket just above the edge of the top of her dress. "Perfect."

"As it should be." Harold replied.

Amy hugged her Father. "Thank you so much, Dad! I love you!"

"I love you too." Harold responded, as he closed his eyes and hugged his baby girl.

----

"Dude, you look so jumpy!" Bright commented, as he fiddled with his tie. "Damn, how do guys put these things on?"

"I can show you." Delia replied, from the doorway.

Bright's face flushed crimson, as he turned to the preteen. "Oh really?" He asked, regaining his composure.

"Mhmm." Delia walked over to Bright and motioned for him to kneel down.

Bright felt slightly uncomfortable, but shrugged it off, to please the young girl. So he bent down to Delia's level. "Show me, Miss."

Delia giggled, a girlish noise that none in the room had ever heard before.

Andy quickly tossed Bright a warning glance, just in case.

Within second, Delia had fixed Bright's tie so that it looked perfect.

Bright stood up, examining himself in a small mirror. "How'd you do that?"

"I live with two guys, what'd you expect?" Delia asked, sassily.

Bright wrinkled his nose. "Right. So uh....what'd you come in here for?"

"To get my nieces. Madison and Mrs. Abbott think Dad and Ephram need some 'alone time'."

"Oh..." Bright replied. "I see. Well...." He quickly picked up the two carriers. "Let's go see everyone else then, shall we?" He glanced down at the babies. "You two are so cute."

Kelly and Julia happily sucked their little thumbs, in unison. There was no doubt about it, they were sisters through and through.

Bright, carrying the girls, and Delia quickly left.

Andy turned to his only son and did a nervous raise of his brows. "Well..."

"Well..."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Are you just going to keep mimicking me?" Andy asked, taking a seat on a lone chair.

Ephram shrugged. "What did you want?"

"I..I wanted to wish you good luck. You're a good ki....man. You're a good man, Ephram. I can see that. I was so wrong before, about everything. And I know that I've never really been a good Father, but I just wanted to let you know that I love you."

Ephram looked slightly phased, but quickly shook his head. "Yeah, fine.."

Andy quickly grabbed Ephram's arm, turning his son to face him. "I mean it, Ephram."

Ephram locked eyes with his Father, taking in the words. "I know." There was another long paused, then he wrested his arm free. "But I've got a wedding to get to." He quickly left.

Hurt was evident in Andy's eyes and for a moment, it looked as if a tear was about to fall. But Andy blinked and no wet drops came. Then he quickly left the room as well.

----20 Minutes Later----

Ephram's heart was pounding. He was standing at altar, with his hands at his sides, as the music began to fill the room. He looked down the isle, at the doors, waiting for them to open.

----

Amy and her Father stood just outside the closed doors. Amy's hands held a full bouquet of red, pink, and peach roses. Her veil hung gently over her beautiful face and she looked gorgeous. She could feel her heart thud wildly in her chest. Then the soft melody of the wedding music floated into her ears.

Harold turned to his only daughter, admiring her beauty and grace. He looped his arm around Amy's.

"It's time." Amy whispered, not really sure if she was actually believing her own words.

"Yes, it's time." Harold replied, as he gently pushed the double doors opened and the two began to walk gracefully down the isle.

As Amy took steps down the rose petal covered isle, she memorized the faces that were looking on at her, with amazement. A soft smile crept across her lips, then she looked forward, to see the love of her life. _He looks so handsome!_ She thought, as she approached the altar and faced her one true love.

Harold, hesitating for a brief second, slid his arm out of Amy's, then took a seat in the front row.

The Priestess smiled, as she opened her mouth to begin the ceremony. "We gather here today, to join two kindred spirits in a union of heart and soul. Surrounded by the family and friends of Amy Abbott and Ephram Brown, this couple shall be joined as one. I have been informed that both the bride and groom have created their own vows and would like to read them to each other." She nodded towards Ephram, to begin.

"Amy, since the first day I laid eyes on you, I knew you were different. My beats a little faster when I'm near you and I love you even more, every moment that I'm with you. My love for you will last an eternity! I promise to always be there for you and our family. My heart is in your hands, Amy Abbott. It always has been and always will be." Ephram said. Each word had come directly from his heart.

"We've had our hard times, and it seemed to take us forever to get to this point. But my love for you has never faltered. You've always been the one, since the day I saw you. When I'm with you, everything and everyone else seems to stop, and it's just you and I. I love you, Ephram Brown. I will always love you!" Amy said, letting the words easily flow from her mouth. All the nervousness had melted away and it was just her and Ephram.

The Priestess continued on for several minutes, before finally reaching the high point of the ceremony. She looked out upon the crowd. "Who gives this woman away?"

Harold forced himself to his feet. "I'm giving my daughter away, today. To a very wonderful young man."

The Priestess nodded, then she turned back to Amy and Ephram. "Then with the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride."

Ephram lifted Amy's veil, letting a breath catch in his throat at the sight of her beauty.

The lovers leaned in, letting their lips press together in a long, passionate kiss. When they pulled away, they faced the crowd.

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Brown!"

Loud pops and crackles echoed through the room; everyone instantly knew what it was.

Amy and Ephram made their way out of the main room, through the front doors, and stopped at row of steps. They stared into the dark sky and watched as beautiful fireworks burst into the air.

----

The guests made their way out of the main room, to the front of the building. It was there that they spotted two dark figures, through the clear windows. They watched silently as the dark figures leaned in, sharing another passionate kiss, and in the distance a bright array of sparkler fireworks glittered in the sky.

----August 31, 2005----

Tears streamed down the faces of a small group of women: Madison, Amy, May, and Rose. They were all hugging, sniffling, and sharing heart felt goodbyes.

"I j-just can't believe you're really leaving!" Rose sniffed. "My little girl is all grown up and she's finally leaving!"

Amy clung to her Mother. "I'm gonna miss you so much, Mom!"

"Me too, honey. Me too!" Rose whispered.

May wrapped her arms around Madison. "I'm really go-going to miss you, Maddy.." She choked.

Madison stroked her Mother's hair. "I promise to call every day, Mom. And send letters and pictures..."

"And e-mails?" May asked, hopefully. "I told you that your Father and I recently got the internet, right?"

"Yes Mom.." Madison replied, stifiling a laugh. "Only about a hundred times."

"And our e-mail address " Madison finished.

"I'm just gonna miss you so much!"

"And I you." Madison replied. "So is Kelly."

May released her daughter and bent down to the double carriers, where Rose was all ready kneeling. "I'm just gonna miss the two of you little princesses!" She said, as she gave a little stroke to each hand on the tiny babies.

"You promise to send us as many pictures as you can of them, right?" Rose asked, as she let the sisters pull of her fingers.

"Of course, Mrs. Abbott." Madison said.

"We promise!" Amy cried, in unison with Madison.

----

"And you have everything in order?" Harold asked, again.

"Yes, Mr. Abbott." Ephram assured.

"I seemed to of lost count of how many times you've asked now, Dr. Abbott." Andy quipped.

"I'm just trying to make sure they've got everything under control.." Harold snapped. "Besides, I wasn't the one who brought everything except the kids to my house!"

Andy's face flushed red. "That was not my fault!"

Harold raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Was it Delia's then?" He placed his thumb and index finger to his chin, as if considering the concept. "Oh wait....It seems that you had left her as well."

Ephram quickly made his way between his Father and his Father-in-law. "Well..heh..yes. Everything's fine now. Amy and Madison have the girls and they're with Mrs. Abbott and Mrs. Kellner."

"Ephram!" Nina called, as she approached the men. Robert was to her left, Delia and Sam were to her right.

"Nina!" Ephram said, as he walked over and gave his faithful neighbor a hug. "Thank you so much for picking up Delia and the girls."

"No problem." Nina grinned. She enveloped Ephram in a bear hug. "They're like family to me."

"You are family." Ephram replied. He glanced at his Father, who had a distant glimmer in his eyes, as he watched Nina. _Mhmm._ He thought. He bent down, scooping Delia and Sam into his arms. "Hey guys! I'm glad you're all here."

Delia wiggled in her brother's arms, forcing Ephram to set her down. "Geez, you so suck at good-byes." She rolled her brown eyes. "Anyway....Sam wanted to make you a good-bye card....I helped him with it." She nudged Sam. "Go on."

Sam looked down, as he pulled a small and slightly wrinkled piece of folded paper from his pocket, then handed it to Ephram.

Ephram unfolded the paper and read to silently. Then he bent down to Sam's level and held out his hand. "Thanks man, you're pretty cool."

Sam grinned. "Thanks! I mean, you're welcome..."

Ephram gave Sam a light hearted pat on the back and winked at Delia. "Thanks guys. It's really nice. I'll keep it on display in my new apartment!"

Sam beamed with pride.

"Hey, sorry to cut the party short, but I'm going to go say bye to Amy and Madison." Nina said. She turned to Robert. "Good talking to you."

"Likewise." Robert replied, shaking Nina's hand.

"Well, let's go guys!" Nina said, as she took the hands of Delia and Sam, then lead them off to find the women.

Ephram stood up and faced Robert. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Kellner."

"It's good to see you again, son." Robert said. He gave Ephram a nice pat on the back. "I just wanted to wish you all good luck in New York."

"Thank you."

"And please, make sure you take care of them."

"I swear I will." Ephram said, meaning every word.

"I know." Robert replied. He glanced over at Andy and Harold. "You know, I think you should go speak with your Father."

"Mr. Ke.."

"Really." Robert walked Ephram back over to the men. "Mr. Abbott. Mr. Brown." He exchanged handshakes with both men.

"Mr. Kellner." Both Doctors replied, in unison.

"I was going to go wish the ladies a good-bye. Care to join me, Mr. Abbott?"

Harold, sensing the tension between Father and son, took Robert up on his offer. The two joined in conversation, as they disappeared into the noisy crowd.

"So, here we are, again.." Ephram replied, as his eyes scanned the crowds of people around him.

"Yeah, again." Andy replied. He took his son by the shoulder and pulled him closer. "And this time you're going to hear me out. I know I haven't been a good Father, but I'm trying Ephram! I know I've done some terrible things, that I can't change. But at the time, I thought I was doing what was best for you. I love you, son. More than you'll ever know!" Andy looked into his son's eyes, waiting for some sort of response.

Ephram stood staring at his Father, displaying no emotion. _Is he serious?_ He mentally asked himself. He noticed a wet drip slip from his Father's eye. _He is!_ He thought. Without so much as a warning, he leaned into his Father, giving him a hug that he hadn't given his Father since he was 5-years-old. "I love you too, Dad."

----20 Minutes Later----

"I love you Maddy, be safe!" Robert said, as he exchanged hugs with his daughter.

"I love you too, Dad." Madison replied. She handed her daughter to Robert.

Robert rocked his granddaughter lovingly. "You be good now, okay Miss Kelly?" He said. He kissed his granddaughter on the top of her head, then handed Kelly back to Madison. "You all take care now!"

"We will, Mr. Kellner!" Ephram assured.

Harold tickled Julia's tummy, before reluctantly handing her over to Amy. "You all stay safe now." He warned, while waving his index fingers. "You know how much crime goes on in New York..."

"We know, Dad!" Amy laughed, as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You've told me a million times all ready!" She carefully locked Julia in her carrier. "I love you Mom! I love you Dad!" She hugged them both and then walked over to Ephram, Madison, and Kelly. "But the plane's gonna depart any minute now!"

"Bye Madison! Bye Amy!" Delia called. She waved her hands wildly. "Bye Kelly! Bye Julia! Bye Ephram!"

"Bye Delia!" The threesome called. They waved until they reached the gate and then disappeared into the line of people. They were finally setting out on their own.

----September 1, 2005----

Ephram, Amy, and Madison made their out the front doors of the airport onto the busy sidewalk. A chilly breeze rushed passed them.

"Hey guys! Over here!" A familiar voice called out, coming from a parked car just a few feet away.

Amy's heart jumped as she spun around and she let out a joyful squeal. "Bright!" She rushed into her elder brother's arms and hugged him.

"It's good to see you too, sis." Bright commented. "Or should I say, Mrs. Brown?"

Amy playfully slapped Bright, as they made their way back to the remaining people. "Hey Madison, nice seeing ya again." He looked at Ephram. "Dude, you look good."

"Thanks." Ephram laughed.

Bright bent down to the carriers and tickled Julia and Kelly, simotaniously. The girls giggled wildly. Then he stood up. "Welcome home."

"Home." Ephram repeated, as the sun slowly poked through the sky, casting beautiful waves of color to wash through the New York sky.


	22. Happily Ever Abbott

A/N: First off, I'd just like to thank everyone who has given me these amazing and encouraging reviews! You've been so amazing! This is the last chapter, of the "Everwood: Season" series. I may or may not write another "Everwood" fanfic. (I'm still considering freak4web's question about writing a Madison & Ephram fic; I haven't decided yet.) kursk: You're very welcome and I'm happy that you enjoyed the details. auggy1984: Thank you so much for sticking with this story, it means a lot! Cap'n Keira Sparrow: Aww, you have such sweet reviews. Thanks! Ashley: Really? lol I didn't know that. What an odd coincidence.. Thanks for reviewing! muse-of-the-fairies: I'm so happy you enjoyed the previous chapter! I hope you like this one just as much! flsoutherngirl: Really? Wow! That is such an awesome thing to say! Thank you, that makes me feel really good! Divagurl277: Thanks for your wonderful enthusiasm! colorado2: And last but certainly not least, thank you bunches for reviewing and giving me your honest thoughts, without being rude about it. That's really an awesome quality! By the way, I'd like to inform you that I'm dedicating this last chapter (the "series finale"), to you! I sincerely hope that everyone will really enjoy this last chapter!

**4.22_ Happily Ever Abbott  
_**

----December 23, 2015----

"I can't wait to see Grandpa Andy and Grandpa Harold and Grandpa Rob!" 11-year-old Kellner Brown, Kelly for short, burst out. She turned to her younger half sister, of 3 days. She had long blonde hair like her Mother and dark brown eyes like her Aunt Delia, which also happened to be her Grandmother Julia's eyes.

"And Grandma Nina and Grandma Rose and Grandma May!" 11-year-old Julia Brown giggled. Her green eyes, like her Mother, twinkled with excitement and her long brown hair was pulled into a wavy pony tail; she had hair like her Aunt Delia and her Grandma Julia.

"I bet they'll have awesome presents!" Kelly and Julia said at the same time.

28-year-old Ephram Brown glanced at his daughters, that were seated in the isle across from him. "Girls, you know that isn't the only reason we're going home, right?"

Kelly and Julia each made a pouty face, it was good too, because they had perfected it for 11 years. "We know." They said, in unison. Not only were the girls close in age, according to their birth dates, but they had an extremely close sisterly bond.

28-year-old Amy Brown nudged her husband, Ephram. "Shh. Let them have their fun. You know presents aren't the only reason they want to go to Everwood. My parents will be there, Bright will be there, Delia will be there, and even Madison's parents will there."

Ephram rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know." He leaned in and kissed his wife, who was also the true love of his life. "You're beautiful."

"No I'm not." Amy said. She brushed a strand of loose hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You said that the last time I was pregnant too."

"And I meant it." Ephram replied.

Amy grinned and placed her hand over her 9 month pregnant belly; she was due any day now. She really shouldn't be traveling, but she'd been going back to Everwood for every special holiday, since she moved to New York, and she wasn't going to stop this Christmas. She and Ephram had been thrilled when they found out she was pregnant again and this time they would be ready for a child. When they'd told Madison and the girls, they had been just as happy.

32-year-old Madison Kellner, who was seated behind the girls, glanced at Amy and Ephram. She still loved Ephram, but not romantically. She was very close friends with Amy as well. Over the years the 3 families had seemed to merge into one large family; her side of the family, Amy's side of the family, and Ephram's family. The 3 sets of grandparents had accepted both girls, even though Kellner wasn't the Abbotts' blood granddaughter and Julia wasn't the Kellners' blood granddaughter, as their grandchildren. "It's too bad they don't have separate rooms on this plane, because you two need one." She said, with a wink.

"Oh, I know. With the way Ephram is, it's amazing that we don't have twenty kids by now." Amy joked.

"Oh, don't I know it." Madison smirked.

"Hey! I'm not that bad." Ephram tried to defend.

"Not bad at all." Amy replied, then kissed Ephram on the lips.

"Ewwww!" Kelly and Julia exclaimed, from the opposite set of seats.

"Please buckle your seat belts and prepare for the landing. I hope you've enjoyed flying United Airlines." The Pilot's voice rang through the intercom.

"Girls, get buckled." Madison repeated.

"Okay Mom." Kelly replied. She quickly buckled her seat belt and then instinctively reached over and buckled her younger sister's belt too.

"I could've done that." Julia complained.

"I know." Kelly replied, with a wink.

----15 Minutes Later----

"Kelly! Julia! I've been here forever waiting for you two!" 23-year-old Delia Brown gushed, as he gave a bear hug to each of her nieces.

"You look really pretty Aunt Delia!" Julia said.

"I like your purse." Kelly commented.

"Look who it is! My two favorite nieces!" 29-year-old Bright Abbott called, from behind Delia.

"Uncle Bright!" Kelly and Julia exclaimed.

Delia turned around, her face slightly red. "Hey Bright." She smiled weakly.

Bright smiled back. He'd always liked Delia, but there was a big age difference so he'd never acted on it.

"It's nice to see you again." Delia said, as she held out her hand.

Bright shook Delia's hand. He hadn't seen her since last Christmas, when he'd flown in from Los Angeles, where he now lived. "Yeah, me too." He kneeled down next to Kelly and Julia. He, like the rest of the family, had accepted Kelly just as much as Julia. "How are my two favorite nieces?" He said, as he gave them each a big hug.

The 2 sisters giggled. "We're you're only nieces, Uncle Bright!"

"Oh yeah, that's right.." Bright laughed. "Hey, I've got some great presents for you!"

"Really?! Where?!" The sisters said in unison.

"They're at Grandma Rose and Grandpa Harold's house."

Kelly and Julia pulled their pouty faces. "Can we open them early?"

"If it's okay with your Dad." Bright replied. He stood up, just as Ephram walked over. "Hey Man, how are ya these days?" He gave Ephram a slap on the back. "I heard you're expecting a new member of the family? Mom has been gushing to me about it over the phone for weeks!"

"Yeah. Amy's due any day now."

"Really? Boy or girl?"

Ephram winked. "We know, but everyone else will have to wait and find out."

Bright rolled his eyes.

Andy Brown and Nina Brown came up, strolling their 3-year-old twins; Harold Brown whom they called Harry for short and Ruby Brown which they named after Nina's Mother. They had gotten married 4 years after Amy, Ephram, Madison, and the girls had moved to New York. The twins however, had been very unexpected, especially due to Nina's age. The pregnancy went off perfectly though. Andy did feel it was odd to have his granddaughters be older than his youngest children. "Ephram, I'm so glad to see you again!" Nina said, as she gave her step son a hug. "We all missed you very much!"

"Well, we missed you too, Nina. The girls really missed your chocolate cakes." Ephram replied. He kneeled down next to the stroller. "Hey you two! You've grown so much since I last saw you!"

Ruby and Harry giggled.

Ephram pulled out 2 lollipops and gave one each to his youngest half brother and half sister. "Enjoy!" He stood back up. "Is Sam here too?"

Nina nudged Andy, who was standing next to her. "Hey! How about Bright, Delia, Kelly, Julia, the twins, and I go find Amy and Madison!"

Bright and Delia nodded. "Yeah, great idea Nina!"

"Why?" Julia asked.

Kelly looked confused too.

Delia scooped up Kelly and Bright grabbed Julia. "Because!"

Then the group headed off the other way, leaving Ephram and Andy alone.

"Hi."

"Hi." Andy replied, awkwardly. "Merry Christmas."

"Yeah, you too."

"How long are you staying?"

"We go back after New Year's."

"And I heard you're expecting a new baby?"

"Mhmm." Ephram mumbled. He twiddled his fingers. He turned away. "I'm going to go find Amy now."

"Yeah, yeah. Good idea." Andy said quickly.

Ephram hurried off.

----3 Hours Later----

"Dad! Dad! Dad!" Kelly and Julia yelled, as they jumped up and down at Ephram's feet.

Ephram glanced down at his daughters. "Yes?"

"We wanna know if we can open Uncle Bright's presents early! He said we can if you say we can!"

"Well...."

"Pleeeeeeeeease?!" The girls begged and put on their most angelic faces.

Amy and Madison walked up. "Come on, Eph."

Ephram glared at Madison and his wife. He turned back to his daughters. "Okay, fine. But just Uncle Bright's gifts."

"Thank you!" Julia giggled.

"Thanks Dad!" Kelly said. She took her sister's hand and pulled her away.

----5 Minutes Later----

"Look what Uncle Bright got me!" Kelly and Julia shouted, as they ran up to 3 adults.

Madison kneeled down. "What'd he get?"

"A box of nail polish! Isn't it cool, Mom?" Kelly asked, as she held up her present.

"Me too!" Julia exclaimed proudly, as she held up her present.

"Wow, girls! These look really nice! Did you thank Uncle Bright?"

"A huh." Julia replied.

"Yep!" Kelly replied, as she beamed. "Julia, let's go paint each other's nails!"

Madison bit her lower lip. "You know what.."

"What?"

"We should probably go talk to Grandma Rose and ask her to help us find a good spot for painting nails." Madison took the free hand of each girl and glanced back at Ephram and Amy. "I'll take them to find Rose and then I'll help them paint their nails so we won't have any...."

"Colorful stains." Amy filled in.

"Mhmm." Madison replied, as she led the girls away.

----December 24, 2015 (Christmas Eve)----

Bright was sitting next to Kelly and Julia. "So, are you two excited about the new baby?"

Kelly and Julia exchanged looks.

"Yeah. But Mom and Dad can change the diapers." Julia replied.

To emphasize Julia's point, Kelly plugged her nose. "Yeah, what she said." She and Madison no longer lived in the same house with Amy, Ephram, and Julia but she did live only a few blocks away. Her parents had equal custody of her, so she spent one week with Madison and then the next week with Ephram; she had her own room at both houses.

A few laughs echoed through the room.

"Speaking of the new baby...."

"We're keeping the gender a secret." Amy replied, as she laid her hand over her stomach. Her rings, engagement and wedding, glittered from the blinking lights on the Christmas tree. Suddenly she gasped. "Oh...oh my!"

"Amy! Amy, what's wrong?" Ephram asked, as he placed his arm around his wife. He heard the clock chime 8:00 P.M.

"I think...I think the baby's coming!" Amy exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh! Okay, we'd better get her to Denver!" Rose announced. She grabbed her car keys from a hook on the wall. "I'll take Amy and Ephram."

"But what about...."

Madison cut Ephram off. "I'll get the girls ready and we'll be there as soon as we can. Now go!"

Ephram helped Amy out of the house and Rose followed.

"Good luck!" Everyone else called, before the door shut. As soon as they'd heard the car pull away, they jumped from their seats and sprang into action.

----

"Oh Ephram, this seems like deja vu." Amy said, as she placed one hand on her swollen stomach and the other hand into Ephram's hand.

"Except we aren't teenagers anymore." Ephram replied. He used his free hand to rub his beloved wife's back. "Breathe." He whispered.

Amy took a few deep breaths and squinted her eyes in pain and then locked her hand around her husband's hand, until her knuckles turned white.

Ephram bit his lower lip, as he tried to ignore the shooting pain from his hand. Eventually he tasted a drop of blood and then he felt Amy's hand relax. He licked his lip and continued to rub Amy's back. "Are you okay, now?"

"I'm having my baby in my Mother's car, Ephram! Do I look okay to you?!" Amy snapped, as another contraction hit. Her breathing became ragged.

"Shhh. Shh..." Ephram cooed. "It'll be okay. Everything will be fine." He reasoned. "Just breathe."

"You try breathing!" Amy flamed, with a scowl. She screamed out in pain.

"Amy, sweetheart! We'll be at the hospital before you know it. Everything will be fine!" Rose said, from the driver's seat.

----

"Is Amy gonna be okay, Mom?" Kelly asked, as she gazed up at her Mother.

"Of course." Madison replied. She ruffled her daughter's hair. "And we'll see her very soon." She grabbed two puffy coats from the closet and quickly dressed the girls.

Julia wrinkled her nose. "It's hot."

"It won't be once you step outside." Madison reasoned. To further emphasize her point, she waved her hand at the window. A thin layer of frost covered everything in sight.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "When are we going?"

"As soon as I find my keys." Madison replied. She dug through her purse for a good 5 minutes and then moved onto her coat, for the second time.

Kelly shrugged and dug into the pocket of her new Christmas dress and pulled out a key ring, full of keys. "You mean, these?"

Madison spun around and her jaw dropped open. "My keys!" She snatched them from her daughter's hand. "You've had them the whole time and you didn't tell me?"

"Well....you didn't ask." Julia jumped in, at her older sister's aid.

Madison wanted to grab at the sides of her head right now. _Kids!_ She thought, with an exhausted sigh. She grabbed her purse and hurried Kelly and Julia towards the door. "We're leaving!"

"We'll be there as soon as we can!" Delia called back.

"I'll tell them, if I see them." Madison replied, before shutting the door behind her. She quickly got the girls into her car, buckled them, too the driver's seat, and drove off.

----

"Do you have a ride?" Bright asked, as he made his way up to Delia.

Delia blushed and wrapped a wool scarf around her neck, hiding part of her face. "Why?"

Bright shrugged. "No reason. I was just going to offer to take you, if you didn't."

"That sounds like a reason to me." Delia replied.

Bright turned away. "Well, it sounds like you have a ride, so...."

"Wait!" Delia replied, without thinking.

Bright spun around. "Yes?"

"I..I think it would be better for the environment if we went together, you know. Less car exhaust." Delia said. _God, that sounded so lame!_ She mentally scolded herself.

Bright smiled. "Well, good. I mean, for the environment." He pulled Delia's coat from the closet and handed it to her. "It's cold outside."

"Yeah. Thanks." Delia replied, as she snuggled into her coat. She stopped and stared into Bright's eyes for a moment. _He's so...._ She began to think.

Bright leaned in, as if in a trance. His lips were centimeters from Delia's.

"Are you two ready?" Andy's voice suddenly spoke up, as he turned the corner, into the room.

"Yet?" Harold complained, as he turned a moment after Andy.

Bright quickly brushed Delia's cheek with his fingers. "There you go, eyelash gone." He said, quickly.

"Oh, uh, thanks. I hate it when those things get in my eyes!" Delia replied, following suit. She felt a tingle run through her body. She wished that she could feel Bright's hand on her cheek, again.

Harold frowned. "Eyelashes? You're worried about eyelashes when you're new niece or nephew is coming into the world?" He walked over and smacked Bright's head, then pulled his coat out of the closet. "Hurry up."

Delia quickly grabbed her Father's coat and handed it to him. "Here Dad. We'd better get going."

"Right." Andy replied. He narrowed his eyes at his daughter. He had a weird feeling that someone just wasn't as it seemed, but he quickly shook it off. _My new grandchild is coming into the world right now. Get a move on, Andy._ He mentally yelled to himself. "Thanks." He kissed his daughter on her forehead. "Are you taking your car?"

"No...Bright's giving me a ride." Delia replied.

Andy's brows furrowed.

"We figure the less cars the better. You know, less parking spaces to find, and all." Bright jumped in.

"Right. Well, have a safe drive then. I'll meet you at the hospital, I guess." Andy replied, as he moved his eyes from Delia to Bright and back.

"Yep. At the hospital. Love you, Dad!" Delia said. She gave her Father a hug. "Bye, Mr. Abbott!" She said, with a wave.

"Good-bye, Delia." Harold responded. He narrowed his eyes at his son. "Hurry up, Bright." Then he turned and left.

Andy gave a small wave to Delia and Bright, then followed Harold.

An awkward silence passed between Delia and Bright, for a few moments. Then Bright shrugged. "I guess we should go."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." Delia replied. She glided past Bright. "I'll meet you outside."

"Okay." Bright replied, as he watched her go. He ran his hand through his blond curls and sighed, then hurried off in the direction of the living room.

----

"Ahhhhh!" Amy roared, as she was being wheeled into the delivery room.

Ephram quickly put on a mask over his mouth and hurried in. He took Amy's hand and spoke softly to her. "You can do this, honey. You've done it before and you know what a beautiful miracle you brought into this world."

Amy squeezed his hand tighter, as beads of sweat dribbled down her crimson red face. He hair was met and it stuck to her face. She screamed again and dug her nails, unintentionally, into Ephram's hand.

Ephram squeezed his eyes shut and his entire body stiffened, as his wife's nails pierced his flesh, leaving small wounds. Luckily, her nails hadn't drew blood. "Breathe, Amy. Breathe." He said, as calmly as he could.

"Come on, Mrs. Brown. You can do this!" Dr. Alicia Dillan said. "Things are going great. You should only be in labor for a few more hours. Five at the most."

Ephram felt his hand being squeezed to the limit, again. _A few more hours._ He thought, as memories filled his mind.

_**----Flashback----  
**  
"Ephram Brown!" Amy screamed, at the top of her lungs. "I'm going to kill you for doing this to me!" She raged. Her face was red and sweat poured from her forehead. "Get your ass over here right now!" _

Ephram ran to Amy's side. "I'm right here!"

Amy grabbed Ephram's hand and squeezed, until her fist looked white. "Aghhhhh!" She wailed. Her face squinted in pain.

"It should just be a few more hours from now." Dr. Aimsley assured Amy.

"A few more...Agghhhhhh!" Amy screamed and gripped Ephram's hand again. "Hours?!" She roared. "Ephram Brown, you're never going to...Ahhhh!"

**----Flashback----**

Ephram's flashback ended, as he was pulled back to reality, by his wife's horror movie type scream. He looked at his hand, which was ghostly white now. He could barely feel it. "Amy! Amy, I'm here. You're going to be all right. Everything will be all right!" He kissed Amy's cheek. "We'll get through this together."

"Together? Together?! I'm the one in pain!" Amy raged, as she smacked the bed with her free fist.

Ephram decided that mentioning his hand right now, would only fuel the flames, so he kept his mouth shut.

----

Madison, hand in hand with Kelly and Julia, made her way to the front desk of the hospital. "Hi. I'm need to know about Amy Brown." She said, as she looked at the Nurse.

"And your name?" The Nurse asked, without looking up. She was an elderly woman, not very personable, and had thick rimmed glasses that made her look ever the meaner.

"Madison Kellner." Madison replied.

"Relation to the patient?" The Nurse inquired, as she typed something into her computer.

"A close friend." Madison replied.

"I can only give information out to blood relatives." The Nurse replied, coldly.

Kelly and Julia, who were shorter than the counter, exchanged looks. Julia walked over to a vacant chair and pulled it to the desk, then got up onto the chair. "Hi! I'm Julia Brown. My Mom is Amy Brown. So, tell me where my Mom is."

The Nurse frowned. "Do you have proof that you're Mrs. Brown's daughter?"

Julia glared at the bitter old woman. "I want to know where my Mom is!"

"If you're going to yell, I insist you leave this hospital!" The Nurse retaliated.

"Julia." Madison said, softly. She wrapped her arms around the 11-year-old and gave her a long hug. "Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this."

A few tears spilled down Julia's cheeks. "But I want to know if my Mom's o..okay.." Julia whimpered.

"I know. I know." Madison replied. She patted Julia on the back and softly lifted her off the chair and placed her next to Kelly. "Kelly, can you put the chair back, please?"

"Yes, Mom." Kelly replied. She grabbed the chair from the waiting room and pulled it back to the original place. She wandered back over to her Mother and younger sister. "Why won't they tell us about Julia's Mom?"

"Because they've got a corn...." Madison stopped herself in mid sentence. "It's complicated."

Kelly crossed her arms and frowned. "It's stupid!"

"What is?" Bright asked, as he walked up behind Madison.

"Uncle Bright!" Julia said, as she wiped her tears away with her sleeve.

"Hey!" He leaned down and wrapped his arms around his niece. "What's the matter?"

"That mean woman won't tell us where Mom is." Julia said, as she waved her hand at the desk.

"She doesn't believe that Julia is really related to Amy." Madison replied.

"She wants 'proof'." Kelly said as she tried to imitate the Nurse's voice and make a disgusted face at the same time.

"Does she?" Bright asked. He scooped Julia into his arms and pulled out his wallet and slapped it on the table, revealing his I.D. "Hi. Bright Abbott. Amy Brown's older brother." He rubbed Julia's shoulder. "I'm sure that if you look up her file, you'll find mine and Julia's names there."

The Nurse glared at Bright. She grabbed the I.D. and scanned it with her eyes, then she placed it back on the table. Finally, she stood up, walked over to a filing cabinet and pulled out a manilla folder. She flipped through a few papers, examined a few, then put the folder back. She sat down again, typed something into her computer, and then looked back at Bright. "Mrs. Brown is currently in the delivery room and won't be expected out for another few hours. Once she's released, she'll be in room two-hundred-fifteen." She adjusted her glasses. "You'll have to take a seat in the waiting room and wait for any additional news from the doctor."

"Thanks." Bright said, sarcastically. He grabbed his wallet and stuffed it in his pocket and then put Julia back on her feet. "What do you say we all go take a seat?"

"Where's Aunt Delia?" Kelly asked.

"She had to stop by the restroom. She'll be in here any moment." Bright replied. He took both girls by the hands and led them over to the waiting room.

"Bright! Madison! You're already here!" Rose cried happily, from across the room. She hurried as fast as her legs, and open cup of steamy coffee, would allow.

"Where've you been, Mom?" Bright asked, curiously.

"I've been waiting in a God awful line, to get a simple cup of coffee." Rose said, with a roll of her eyes. "Are you the only ones...."

"Mrs. Abbott!" Delia exclaimed, as she rushed over to the small group. "How's Amy?"

"She's still in the delivery room and Ephram's with her." Rose replied. She took a long sip of her coffee.

Kelly and Julia jumped to their feet and gave Delia a hug.

Delia smiled and sat down, next to Bright. "I hope things are going well."

----

"I'm going to kill you for this, Ephram!" Amy raved, as her body convulsed.

Ephram brushed away the wet hair from Amy's red face. "Just breathe, honey. Like we were taught in the classes."

"I don't want to breathe! It hurts too much! I just want this baby out of me!" Amy exploded. Then hot, salty tears formed in her eyes, and she began to sob. "I want this to be over with!" She savored the few precious moments in-between the contractions. It was like being in the exact center of a tornado; nothing in the exact center of a tornado was harmed, but everything outside the center was complete chaos.

Ephram wiped Amy's tears away with his fingers and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." Amy whispered. "But it hurts so much."

"But you're strong. You can do this. We can do this." Ephram replied, as he gave her hand a light reassuring squeeze.

Amy sniffed. "I don't think I can."

"I know you can."

"But.."

"No buts." Ephram replied, calmly but sternly. "Just a while longer and then we'll get to see our beautiful new baby. The baby that we created out of eternal love for each other."

Amy bit her lower lip as she listened to Ephram's words and she took a few more deep breaths and then felt another contraction coming on. "Oh! Oh God!" She screamed, as she grasped Ephram's hand again.

----

"Have we missed much?" Edna Harper asked, as she padded up to the group with her husband, Irv Harper.

"No Mother. We're still waiting for Amy to get out of the delivery room." Harold replied.

"I see." Edna replied, gruffly. "Nothing more than that?"

Andy shook his head.

"Damn doctors. They're always so vague." Edna stated, with a wrinkle of her nose.

"Mother!" Harold snapped, taking offense to the comment, since he just happened to be a doctor himself.

"Well it's true." Edna replied. She waved her hand at her son. "I know first hand."

Kelly and Julia were quietly giggling, behind Harold. Their Great Grandmother always had a funny way of expressing her love for her son.

"Did you call Linda?" Harold asked.

"Yes, actually." Irv replied. "She said she'd take a late flight out tonight and she should be here by noon or later tomorrow."

"It'll be nice to see her again." Andy commented, as he remembered fond memories of his and Linda's relationship. He cared for her a lot, but they both knew that it was never meant to be. He was with someone he really loved now, Nina, and they had two children together.

"It's unfortunate that she can't visit more often." Rose added. "Harold misses her terribly."

"Rose!" Harold grumbled.

"Oh, Harold! Don't deny it. We both know it." Rose replied, then took another sip of her hot coffee.

"Mom?" Kelly asked suddenly.

"Yes?" Madison spoke up.

"Will we go home tonight?" Kelly asked, as her eyes began to blink. It was a sign that meant she was beginning to get tired.

"We'll see." Madison replied, softly.

"What if we don't?" Kelly asked.

"What do you mean?" Madison questioned.

"If we don't go home, will Santa know where to deliver our gifts?" Kelly asked.

The adults exchanged looks.

"Of course!" Andy replied. He knelt down next to his granddaughters' seats and took hold of each girl's hand. "Santa always knows where to deliver gifts and he always knows where everyone is."

"Really?" Julia asked, followed by a yawn.

"Really." Andy confirmed.

"That's good. 'Cause I wouldn't want him to get confused." Kelly replied, then yawned herself.

----11:55 P.M.----

"It's crowning!" Dr. Dillan called out. "Come on, Amy! A few more good pushes and you've done it!"

"I can't!" Amy screamed. "It's too painful!"

"You can! Come on, Amy! Do it! Push!" Dr. Dillan said, firmly.

Amy let out yet another ear piercing scream, as she gave another push. "It's too much!"

"Push!" Dr. Dillan repeated.

"You can do it!" Ephram encouraged. "Come on, another good push!"

"I can't!" Amy cried.

"You can!" Ephram contradicted.

"No! Please!" Amy begged.

"Push, Amy! We've gotten this far! Just a little more! One more good push!" Dr. Dillan replied.

Amy took a deep breath and squeezed Ephram's hand until both her hand and his went white and then she put all her strength into one final push.

Dr. Dillan grabbed a white blanket and the room fell silent, except for Amy's breathing. The clock on the wall chimed Midnight. Then a blasting cry filled the room. "Good job, Mrs. Brown." She walked over to the table and cleaned off the newborn and then wrapped the child in a clean blanket. "Congratulations, you have a healthy baby...."

----

Julia and Kelly were fast asleep. They looked like little angels. Julia had her head leaning on her older sister's shoulder and Kelly had her had gently resting on Julia's head. Both in awkward positions in the waiting room chairs.

"It's already Midnight." Rose observed.

Harold was tapping his foot, impatiently. "When are they going to come out?" He asked aloud, to nobody specific.

"When it's time." Edna quipped.

Irv placed his arm around his wife's shoulder's. "I'm sure they'll be out soon."

Dr. Dillan walked out of the hallway and into the waiting room. "Is anyone waiting for the Brown family?"

Rose quickly stood up and waved to Dr. Dillan. "Over here."

Dr. Dillan smiled and walked over to the group. "Hello. I'm Doctor Alicia Dillan." She held out her hand.

Harold was the first to grasp her hand. "Harold Abbott. Is my daughter okay?"

Rose walked over and shook Dr. Dillan's hand as well. "He means, is everything fine?"

"You must be Amy's Mother."

"Rose Abbott." Rose introduced.

"It's nice to meet you." Dr. Dillan replied. She laced her fingers together. "Yes. Everything is perfectly fine. You're daughter just delivered a healthy baby boy."

"I told you it would be a boy!" Harold said, as he glanced at Rose.

Rose lightly swatted Harold. "When can we see them?"

"Right now, actually. Just follow me, if you would." Dr. Dillan replied, as she turned and walked back towards the hall.

Madison slightly shook Julia and Kelly. "Girls."

Julia wrinkled her nose and opened her sleepy eyes. "I don't wanna go to school..." She mumbled.

"Julia...Wake up, dear. It's time to go meet your baby brother." Madison replied.

Julia's eyes shot open. "Mom had the baby?"

"Yep." Madison replied, as she stood up.

"And it's a boy?" Kelly asked, as she rubbed her eyes.

"Right."

Kelly frowned.

Madison took the girls' hands and lead them towards the hallway.

----

"Right here." Dr. Dillan said, as she motioned to a shut door.

"Thanks." Rose replied.

A few feet away, Harold and Andy were walking towards the door. "No, they'll name him after me." Harold replied.

"'Harold' isn't a name fit for a baby." Andy said, stubbornly. "Any grandson of mine would do much better if he were named 'Andrew'."

"We don't need my grandson getting picked on at school now, do we?" Harold quipped.

"Would you two cut it out?" Edna grumbled from behind the bickering doctors.

Rose opened the door and smiled as she saw Amy sitting on the bed, holding a tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket. "Hey there, sunshine."

"Hey, Mom." Amy said, softly.

"You look exhausted." Rose commented.

"I feel exhausted." Amy said, dryly.

"It was a long night." Ephram spoke up.

"Daddy!" Kelly and Julia yelled, as she burst into the room.

"Morning, girls!" Ephram said, as she bent down and greeted his daughters.

"Morning?" Julia asked, skeptically. "It's still night."

"It's after Midnight." Ephram replied, as he motioned to the clock. "You baby brother was born at exactly Midnight."

"Does that mean he was born on Christmas day?" Kelly asked.

Ephram laughed. "I guess that would be right, wouldn't it?" He asked, as he peered at the other people in the room.

"What a special little guy." Rose said, as she walked over and gazed down at her grandson.

"We're special too." Kelly and Julia piped up.

"Of course you are!" Rose said. She walked over and gave Kelly and Julia a hug.

Andy and Harold made their way to the bed. "See, he looks like an 'Andrew'!" Andy protested.

"Look at the face! He's a 'Harold'!" Harold retorted.

Nina's face grew grim. "I highly doubt we should be arguing in here. Amy just went through a lot and she's doesn't need bickering while she's trying to rest." She grabbed Andy's arm. "Out!"

Rose, following suit, grabbed Harold by the arm. "Nina is absolutely correct. Leave the room, if you want to continue this silly argument."

"But..." Harold protested, which only earned him a death glare from his wife. "Fine..." He muttered and he took a seat, quietly, on the other side of the room.

"Andy?" Nina asked.

Andy quietly took a seat on the opposite side of the room.

"Have you thought about names?" Enda asked, curiously.

"Actually, we have." Ephram replied, as he took a seat by Amy. "We've decided that his first name will be 'Abbott'."

"What about his middle name?" Andy and Harold jumped in, at the same time. Both earning glares from their respective spouses.

"We've thought a lot about that." Amy continued. "We wanted to do something to honor someone we know, like we've done with Julia."

"But we also didn't want to cause any hard feelings between any family members." Ephram added, as he looked from Harold to his Father.

Amy gently rocked her son. "So we decided his middle name will be...."

The room grew silent as everyone awaited Amy's response.

"Irv." Amy finished. She smiled at Irv.

"Irv?!" Andy and Harold burst out.

"That's it!" Rose said. She grabbed Harold by the collar of his white shirt and pushed him out the door.

Nina grabbed Andy by the ear and pushed him out the door.

"Wait!" Andy and Harold called out, as the door shut in their faces. Then they heard a small click and knew it was locked.

"This is your fault, you know." Harold grumbled.

"My fault? You're the one who thought he looked like a 'Harold' and had to sing it to the world!" Andy snapped.

----

"You know, you don't have to." Irv replied.

"We want to." Ephram said.

"You've always been such a caring and considerate person. Not to mention, a good grandfather." Amy spoke.

"And we felt that it was a good choice." Ephram finished.

"I don't know what to say." Irv replied.

"You don't have to say anything." Amy said.

"Would you like to hold him?" Ephram asked.

Edna nudged her husband forward.

"Of course." Irv replied.

Ephram gently took Abbott from his arms and laid the tiny child in Irv's arms.

"He's beautiful." Irv complimented.

"Thank you." Amy said, with a smile.

"No, thank you." Irv replied, as he gazed at his great step grandson.

----1:00 P.M.----

The door of the Abbott house creaked open slightly. "Hello? Anyone home?" Linda Abbott called, as she walked inside. She shut the door behind her and brushed away a strand of red hair from her face. "Hello?"

Kelly and Julia raced into the room. "Great Aunt Linda!" They exclaimed.

"Julia! Kelly!" Linda greeted, as she knelt down and hugged both girls. "My, you're so big now! How are you?"

"Good." Julia replied.

"Okay." Kelly said.

"Where is everyone?" Linda asked.

"In the living room, cleaning up wrapping paper." Julia replied.

"Oh! You better go tell them to stop!" Linda said.

"Why?" Kelly asked.

"Because, I have presents for everyone, in the car!" Linda exclaimed.

"Cool!" Kelly burst.

"And besides, without wrapping paper, we can't shred it up, and have a whole made confetti war!"

"Confetti war!" Julia and Kelly giggled with excitement. Linda had taught them how to have a confetti war when she'd come to visit a few years ago, on Christmas.

----1 Hour Later----

Linda fell backwards onto the couch, landing next to her brother.

Harold snorted. "You always were the one for mess." He plucked a piece of glimmering Christmas paper from his sister's hair and stood up. "Mother, where did you set the vacuum?"

Edna waved her hand, ignoring her son's question. "Linda, I'm sure you'd love to see the baby. Why don't we go now? Rose, May, and Irv are all ready over there with Ephram and Amy."

Linda's smile brightened. "You know, I'd really like that!" She stood up, motioning for the girls to come to her.

"Yes, Great Aunt Linda?" Julia asked, as she twirled a strand of her rich brown hair.

"Do you want to stay here with Grandpa Harold, or go with me and Great Grandma Edna, to see your little brother?"

Kelly and Julia exchanged looks with the people in the room. "Let's go!"

"Unbelievable!" Harold exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air.

Linda's eyes skimmed over the paper covered room. "Have fun, bro!" She winked and then headed out the door with her Mother and the girls.

"Kids these days!" Harold grumbled, as he grabbed his Dirt Devil.

----6:00 P.M.----

"I've got the camera!" May smiled, as she walked into Amy's hospital, meeting her 'extended family'.

"I'll hook it up." Robert offered, as he took the camera from his wife and began to attach it to it's stand. "Why don't you guys get into position for the family picture?"

"Thanks for doing this." Amy said, as she exchanged soft smiles with Madison's parents.

"It's no problem, really." May said, as she admired her new grandson, or at least that was the custom with this unique group of families. "He really is a beauty." She commented.

Amy laughed and gently stroked her son's tiny face. "Yes, yes you are, Abbott Brown."

Abbott blinked his tiny hazel colored eyes; they seemed to be a greenish-brown color, a mix of Amy and Ephram's, and he'd inherited his Mother's honey colored head of hair.

Ephram gently picked Abbott from Amy's arms.

Amy leaned forward and May took her hand, helping her from the bed. Amy was dressed quite nicely, she'd done it special for the occasion.

"We're almost ready." Robert informed, as he adjusted the camera.

Ephram took position in the center of the room, holding his son in his arms. "Come, gather round." He said, as he motioned his head at the rather large group of people in the room.

Amy took her place left of Ephram, while Madison took her place to Ephram's right. Julia stood half in front of Ephram and half in front of Amy, as Kelly did the same, between Madison and Ephram. Rose, Harold, May, Andy, and Nina took their places behind the young adults. Andy and Nina each had a twin balanced on their shoulders; Harry with Andy and Ruby with Nina. Bright and Delia stood just a little ways behind and to the left of Madison, holding hands. Sam stood just a little behind and to the left of Amy, next to Linda.

"Everyone ready?" Robert asked.

"Yes!" Came the unanimous reply.

"Then let's do this!" Robert said, cheerfully. He walked over to the group, taking a stance next to his wife and near his daughter, then he gently placed his finger on the button that would activate his camera. "On three, everyone."

"Three, two, one!" The group chorused, then a bright flash filled the room, and moments later a small picture began to emerge from the brand new and very high quality camera.

Robert walked over to the camera and took the picture. It was still white, as the picture was still forming. He brought it over to the group, who eagerly gathered around the photo, as it slowly came into view. Within a minute or so, it was clear.

"It's perfect." Ephram announced, as he examined the picture. Everyone was in the shot, it was clear, and the lights were just right. "A perfect family photo."

"Can we see?" Julia and Kelly asked, as they reached for the picture. "Pleeeease Grandpa Rob?!"

Robert laughed and handed the picture to the girls; his granddaughters, blood or no.

"It's so pretty!" Julia commented, as she and her slightly elder sister made their way onto the bed and admired it.

"Yup!" Kelly grinned. Then her brow furrowed. "Wait a minute, do you see that smudge, Julia?"

Julia squinted her eyes, as she eyed the corner of the photo. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Oh no! Girls, please say you didn't get your finger prints on the picture!" Ephram begged, as he walked over to the girls and leaned over them, with Abbott still in his arms. "Where is this 'smudge'?"

Julia and Kelly, without touching the picture, pointed to the corner of the picture.

Ephram's eyes squinted, as he stared. "What the...."

Amy walked over to her husband and took her son. "What's wrong?"

Ephram took the picture from his daughters and held it close to his face, then a small gasp escaped his throat.

"What?" Amy asked, again.

"No way.." Ephram whispered, as he seated himself on the bed, in shock.

The families slowly gathered around, all looking at the picture.

"What's going on?" Nina asked.

Ephram's hand trembled, as he held up the picture of the group, and pointed to the 'smudge'. "It's...I think it's..."

"Grandma Julia!" Kelly and Julia exclaimed, in unison.

"I thought that smudge looked familiar." Kelly replied, smartly.

"But I thought it was a face before you did." Julia countered.

"Whatever." Kelly said, with a flip of her blonde hair.

"But how did Grandma Julia get in the picture?" Julia asked, bewildered.

"She always did have a strong will." Andy said, as a smile crossed his lips. "And she loved her family."

Everyone gathered around their perfect picture and stared at the 'smudge'. As they all looked on, it was clear as day; a faint apparition of Ephram's late Mother, Julia Brown, stood in the corner of the picture, with a glowing smile of love and joy upon her face. A small breeze rustled through the room, touching everyone.

"I knew that Everwood would bring our family together." There was a pause. "Thank you." The soft whisper of Julia Brown Senior's voice, floated through the air.


End file.
